Don't scream
by YoGurlWhatYoNameIs
Summary: The Benefactor is no longer and the dead pool had been stopped. The worst has finally come to an end; that's what the pack thought. When their lives are just starting to get back on track, something huge and entirely out of their hands attacks not only Beacon Hills, but the entire world. Will they be able to stop it?
1. Chapter 1

"What about this one?" Parrish pointed to a creature with large feathery wings sprouting from its back after turning the page.

Lydia stopped pacing to take a look for herself. She'd already gone through this book countless times before. "Nope."

Parrish pulled his eyes away from the thick Bestiary to frown at the red-head who had begun pacing again.

"This creature's eyes turn green. Do your eyes turn green, Jordan?" Lydia asked while turning the pages frantically. This was hard work.

"Well, no..."

"Wait." Lydia paused, her eyes scanning a page quickly. She took in the colour of this creature's eyes. A golden flame. "Look at this."

Parrish keeps the frown on his face as he reads about the creature. A Phoenix.

They both signed onto a computer each, their fingertips tapping against the keyboard; the only sound heard within the empty police station. They spent a good twenty-five minutes in silence while researching about this creature.

Parrish lifted his eyes away from the bright screen and scanned Lydia's tired face. She'd been trying to help him for days, coming straight to the station after school, not leaving until almost midnight.

"Lydia, why don't you go home and get some rest." He spoke up.

Lydia lifted one eyebrow as she looked his way before checking the time. Sighing, she closed the computer down. "Maybe I should. I do have a math test tomorrow."

"Then why are you here?!"

"Because, A; I'm a genius and I don't need to worry, and B; I want you help you." Lydia folded her arms onto the table and looked Parrish in the eye. "I know how it feels to be completely lost, not knowing what you are, not knowing how to control it. Heck, I'm still learning. But the sooner we figure this out, the better. Right?"

Jordan stared at the girl in front of him. She astounded him. "Right."

..

"Yes!"

The door of the classroom burst open and out Malia jumped, her arms in the air with her test papers in her hand.

Stiles and Scott pushed themselves away from the lockers with anticipation.

"You passed?!" Stiles looked at his girlfriend with hopeful eyes as Lydia and Kira appeared behind the happy-looking werecoyote.

"Hell yeah, I passed!" She jumped. "B+!"

"Oh my god, that's great!" Stiles grinned with shock before pulling her into a hug. "Well done."

"It was all down to Lydia." Malia pulled away from Stile's embrace and turned to grin at the red-head. "She brought me up from a E- to an amazing B+ in the space of a week."

Stiles looked from Malia to Lydia with amazement.

"I'm glad I could help, Malia." Lydia smiled, placing a hand on Malia's shoulder.

"How did you two do?" Scott asked the two girls.

"A-." Kira grinned.

"A++." Lydia replied with a shrug.

Stiles shook his head. "That's insane."

"That's great, guys." Scott nodded, high-fiving Lydia before placing an arm around Kira.

"Oh, Scott. Here..." Lydia rustled through her bag before pulling out a notebook. "Notes for biology."

"Thanks, Lydia. I owe you one." Scott smiled.

"You owe me nothing." Lydia rolled her eyes. "Now let's go get lunch, math makes me hungry."

With that, Lydia had marched off with her head high, her heels clicking as she made her way to the cafeteria.

"She's amazing, am I right?" Malia chuckled before grabbing Stile's hand to pull him along.

Stile's eyes never left the back of Lydia. "She's...something."

..

"Shotgun!" Scott and Lydia chimed as they made their way to Stile's jeep. Lydia turned in her heels to face Scott.

"I definitely called it first." She scowled.

"You definitely didn't." Scott raised an eyebrow.

"I definitely own the jeep so I definitely get to call who's shotgun." Stiles passed them both before unlocking his car. "And I'm definitely choosing Lydia because she's definitely a much better front seat DJ than you are, Scott."

"Where's the loyalty?!" Scott gasped as Lydia smirked, pulling back the passenger seat to allow Scott to climb in.

"Aren't Malia or Kira getting a lift?" Lydia asked as her and Stiles both jumped into the jeep and slammed the doors shut.

"Derek picked Malia up to go to the Echlin house. Peter requested a visit." Stiles replied, checking his rear-view mirror as he started the rusty vehicle.

"Kira is having extra Lacrosse practise sessions, considering she missed quite a few this past week." Scott explained.

"Why aren't you guys practising, too?" Lydia asked as Stiles pulled out of the parking space, sighing and mumbling to himself when people would walk behind his jeep. "I'm pretty sure you need the practise more than Kira does, Stiles."

"First of all; ouch. And secondly, I have way too much homework to catch up with. And my dad is still furious with me for sneaking to Mexico so I'm trying to butter him up as much as possible."

"Mom's hasn't got a shift tonight and my dad is actually free so we're going out for dinner." Scott explained while pulling out he's phone.

"I don't understand why Derek and Malia would even want to go see Peter." Lydia frowned as Stiles pulled into the main road.

"He's family. The only family they've got." Scott replied. "I guess they just want to get some sense out of him."

Lydia nodded, still surprised at how calm and collected Scott seemed to be considering Peter wanted to kill him. She shook the thought and concentrated on the radio, finding a good song to listen to. When she was happy with her choice, she leaned her head back and looked out the window as the sun beamed down.

The relief she felt go through her was a nice, new feeling. She no longer had to worry about the death pool or the fact that her and her friends were in danger. Sure, a new enemy was bound to pop up sooner or later but right now, with her and her best friends in the car safe and sound, she was happy.

Stiles paused at a red light, he's and the other two's attention diverting to a homeless looking guy standing on the side walk. He was holding up a large hand made poster.

"Do not trust the government! They are hiding more than we think, a new age is coming!" He yelled to the cars waiting for the light to turn green.

"Do you think he's drunk?" Lydia asked her friends sarcastically as they continued to listen to what the man was yelling.

"We are in danger! The media is filled with lies, death is upon us!"

"What is he even talking about?" Stiles frowned.

"This sickness is not what you think it is, it is more! It is dangerous! It is the end!"

Lydia's heart skipped a beat. What did this man mean? Something inside urged her to get out of the jeep and find out more.

Scott sent Lydia a look, as if he felt the same.

The three of them couldn't help but listen intently, reading the man's sign over and over again. "The end is near". He stopped yelling and looked at the teenagers with a cold, hard stare.

A loud beep of a horn made them jump before they came back into the real world, looking around the jeep frantically.

"Move, idiot!" A large man yelled to Stiles from the vehicle behind him.

Stiles was quick to drive, lifting a hand up to the gentleman as a sign of an apology.

He sent a look to Lydia and then to Scott, taking in their worried and confused faces.

"Hey, guys. He was a little delusional." He swallowed. "Ignore it."

No matter how much Stiles tried to brush it off, it left an unsettling feeling in Lydia's chest. She wasn't going to scream, she was aware of that. But the feeling was heavy on her chest and she just couldn't shake it.

Even later that night, after she cleaned up the dishes with her mother, when she'd taken a bath, when she was tucked up in bed, she just couldn't get rid of this feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why did you call us here, Peter?" Derek sighed, not even lifted his head to look through the glass.

Malia watched her father pace the room opposite; she'd never seen him like this. For the short amount of time that she'd known him, he'd always looked so calm and collective, always had a smirk on his face, always quick to have the last word.

But right now, he was different. She wasn't sure whether it was an effect from Mexico, but it wasn't right.

He was almost shaking, muttering to himself, walking back and forth through his small cell.

"You're going to think I'm crazy." Peter whispered. Derek looked up.

"You? Crazy? Never." Derek smirked dryly, watching as Peter halted and looked over at the remaining Hale's.

"You don't understand what I've seen." Derek shook his head, approaching the glass quickly.

Malia's eyebrow rose, quickly glancing at her cousin. He didn't seem phased.

Peter turned to face the darker end of the cell, where his cell mate sat crossed legged on his bed, not a word heard from him.

"The worst is coming, Derek." Peter whispered, looking back. "You have to believe me when I say this."

"And what makes you think I'll believe anything you say after what you've done?" Derek asked.

"He has an eye in his freaking head!" Peter pointed to his cell mate, who still had nothing to say. "He showed me..."

"What?" Malia asked, intrigued.

"He showed me the future."

"Are you still locked up in the future?" Derek rose an eyebrow.

"Derek, please...you have to listen to me!" Peter yelled, banging on the glass.

"We're leaving." Derek rose from his chair. "Come on, Malia. I'm taking you home."

Malia slowly rose, her eyes still on her father.

"Malia, do you believe me?" Peter pleaded through the glass. "You have to believe your own father."

Malia growled instinctively, moving back towards Derek.

"You don't deserve that title." Derek stated before knocking on the visitor's door.

"Derek, listen." Peter hissed.

"Bye, Peter." Derek called out after the door was opened for them.

"Derek!" Peter let out another scream. He watched his nephew lead Malia out of the room, the door coming to a close.

"DEREK!"

Malia swallowed as she walked down the dimly lit hall.

"THE END IS NEAR!" She heard her father call out desperately.

She looked behind her, up at Derek, not knowing what to believe. He simply shook his head comfortingly and ushered her to keep moving.


	3. Chapter 3

Lydia leaned against her locker with her phone in her hands, her eyes boring into the article she was reading.

"Lydia."

Her frown increased as she scrolled down the page, taking in as much information as possible.

"Hello? Earth to Lydia?"

Lydia snapped her head up in shock before realising it was Stiles. He was quick to lean over and take a look at what she was so engulfed with before she snatched her phone away and placed it in her bag.

"Really, Lydia?" He sighed, now understanding what she was reading. 'Ebola spreading rapidly through Africa', the headline read. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Lydia, she would read all the time about anything and everything. But Stiles knew exactly why she was interested on said topic.

"I had a hunch, all right?" Lydia rolled her eyes before walking down the hall with Stiles on her tail.

"Lydia, the guy was a complete skitzo, he had no idea what he was talking about." He said, rushing to catch up with her. "You're worrying over nothing."

As Lydia sighed and looked ahead, a familiar were-coyote appeared by her side.

"Morning." Stiles called out as he set eyes on his girlfriend. He'd noticed lately that Malia was very hooked on Lydia. Always at her side, always turning to her for help or advice. It was nice they were getting along, but it was also unsettling. But taking in Malia's distant expression, the thoughts left his head. "What's wrong?"

"We went to see Peter yesterday." Malia stated, knowing her friends were aware. "He was acting weird."

"In what way?" Stiles asked, careful to dodge people as they walked through the halls.

"He was kind of..." Malia drifted. "I think he's gone crazy."

"That's nothing new." Lydia mumbled, receiving a glare from Stiles.

"What do you mean, Malia?" Stiles asked. "What was he saying?"

"He said he'd seen the future."

Stiles and Lydia simultaneously lifted an eyebrow.

"His cell mate has an eye in his forehead." Malia tried to make things more clear.

That news didn't really phase Lydia or Stiles. They'd seen enough of the supernatural over the past couple of years that nothing shocked them any more.

"What exactly did he see?" Lydia asked, now intrigued. Peter wasn't one to trust, but the feeling in her stomach became a lot more heavier.

"He said..." Malia frowned, still trying to make sense of what her father was talking about.

"He said the end was near."

Lydia stopped walking, her heart beat increasing. She didn't realise Stiles and Malia turned to face her with concern.

"Lydia?" Stiles said carefully. She'd begun to breathe heavily.

"Did he really say that?" Lydia snapped her head up at Malia with large eyes.

"Uh, yeah."

"Lydia, there is nothing to be worried about, alright?" Stiles approached her.

"For god's sake, Stiles! We live in a world of supernatural craziness and you're trying to tell me that this is some sort of coincidence?!" Lydia glared at the tall brown-haired teenager.

Stiles pulled in his lips before turning to his girlfriend.

"What have I missed?" Malia frowned between the two.

"I'll explain at lunch, alright?"

Malia looked up at Stiles, still holding her frown. "Alright, I'll see you guys after class."

Stiles watched her walk down the busy hall before turning to look back at Lydia. "Lyd-"

"Nope, don't worry." Lydia lifted her head up, a stubborn look on her face. "Let's get to class."

She stormed past Stiles, her heels clicking loudly. Stiles exhaled before following her.

..

He could see she wasn't concentrating. And because she wasn't concentrating, Stiles wasn't concentrating.

He watched Lydia play with the bracelet around her wrist, her expression hard.

"Stop staring." She hissed.

"Well, if you stopped worrying, I'd stop staring." Stiles hissed back.

"If you stopped staring, I'd stop worrying-"

"Miss Martin, Mr Stilinski. Anything to share with the class?" The teacher raised an eyebrow at the pair.

"No, ma'am." Stiles replied quickly, sending an apologetic smile to the teacher before she continued with the lesson.

He turned back to Lydia, receiving quite the side glare.

"Look, Lydia." He whispered. "If you're really that worried, we'll talk to Scott. Alright?"

She blinked a few times before turning her head towards him. "Alright-"

A loud thud against one of the windows caused the glass to rattle, making everyone almost jump out of their seats. They all snapped their heads towards the windows, staring at a dead bird slowly sliding down the glass, blood following in its path.

A few gasps and light screams escaped some mouths before the teacher strode over to check out what was going on.

Then, another bird. And another. And another.

More and more hit the windows, an extortionate amount of thudding causing everyone to scream and rush to the other side of the classroom.

Stiles jumped up, pulling Lydia along with him before ushering them to the wall. They watched in horror as the windows were soon stained with blood and feathers.

"Class dismissed!"


	4. Chapter 4

"This doesn't make any sense." Scott frowned, looking from Stiles to Lydia.

"Yeah, we kind of get that." Stiles blinked.

"Well, your father walked into school with his crew while we were being escorted out of the classroom." Lydia said to Scott. "So it must be more in-depth than we think it is."

Stiles looked down at Lydia.

"Well, than _I_ think it is." She mumbled.

"I think I should go back and talk to Peter." Malia spoke up.

"I agree." Lydia added. "I'll come with you."

"No, absolutely not." Stiles shook his head. "None of you are going anywhere near that maniac."

"I don't think it's a bad idea." Scott muttered, looking around the group. He received a deathly glare from his best friend.

"I'll come too." Kira piped up before looking at Stiles. "You can relax. We have a banshee, a were-coyote and a kitsune. I think we'll be just fine."

..

"Dad?" Scott called out as his father left the classroom where the incident happened earlier. His father turned to face him before shutting the door behind him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Scott. You don't need to worry." Agent McCall replied, walking down the hall towards the exit. Scott followed.

Stiles took a quick look inside the classroom. They'd seem to have covered the place in a clear plastic, and outside the windows was clearly cornered off. He and Scott would have to sneak round there later.

"Don't follow me, Scott." Scott's father called out without turning. "Go back to lunch."

Scott sighed before turning to face Stiles, recognising the expression he was wearing.

"We're not going back to lunch, are we."

..

"How the hell are we going to be allowed in with you?" Kira whispered as they walked through the entrance of the Echlin house.

"Just...play along." Malia hissed.

"Miss Tate." A woman in white approached the three. Malia almost growled at the last name. "What brings you back here?"

"I'm here to see Peter again." Malia stated. "These are my carers. "

Lydia and Kira looked at each other quickly.

The lady looked past Malia with a wary expression. "Your carers."

"Yes." Malia folded her arms. "My carers."

The lady sighed. "Go through."

The girls masked their shock and walked on down the hall. Kira could swear she heard the lady mutter "I hate this job" under her breath.

They turned a few corners, went down a few flights of stairs and entered a very dimly lit hall to be approached by two large men in white. They escorted them to the end of the hall where Peter's cell was rooted.

Once the door opened, Malia stepped in and was followed by Kira and Lydia.

Peter turned in his cell, the bags dark under his eyes and his skin pale. "I see you've brought the whole Scooby-Doo gang with you this time."

"Not everyone, but enough." Lydia shrugged. The three of them took a seat.

"Does Derek know you're here?" Peter asked Malia, stepping closer to the glass.

"We need you to explain exactly what you meant the other day." Malia ignored her father's question.

"Why are you interested now?" Peter scowled.

"Because of me." Lydia lifted her hand.

"What have you seen?"

"I haven't seen anything, but from what you've said, I don't think it's a coincidence that everything I know easily links to what you know." Lydia folded her arms and leaned on the table. "So, are you going to elaborate?"

..

"If we get caught-"

"Then I'll take the blame, Scott."

"Dude, we're messing with an FBI scene here."

"We're not messing with anything, we're just observing."

"Either way, we're not exactly playing by the rules."

"Would you just shut up for a sec'?" Stiles sighed just as they reached the outside corner of their school.

"You look first." Scott whispered.

"Of course I'll look first." Stiles rolled his eyes before peaking around the side of the wall. The outside window area of Lydia's and his classroom had been sectioned off with plastic, forensics were inside testing and agents stood outside to keep watch and get an understanding on what they were finding inside.

"What the hell?" Stiles muttered.

"What?" Scott peaked his head around, taking in the sight ahead. "What do you think they're testing for?"

"I don't know, but if your dad won't spill, then maybe my dad will."

..

"You're hearing things, aren't you."

Lydia looked from the girls to Peter while he glared at her through the glass. She shook her head with a frown.

"No voices?" Peter frowned. "No horrible feelings? No screams?"

Lydia swallowed. "Feelings. Just feelings."

"Ah." Peter nodded, turning to look at his silent cell mate. "That's exactly what he showed me."

"What did he show you?" Malia spoke up, agitated by her father's knack for dragging this out.

"The future." Peter replied. He seemed calmer since the last visit. "The end."

"What's going to happen?" Kira asked.

"It wasn't as clear as I'd wanted it to be, but an attack is happening. A new supernatural creature, perhaps."

"Just one?" Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, no." Peter chuckled. "Hundreds. Thousands."

Lydia's heart fluttered at the thought. The pack have only ever had to deal with one evil being at a time. But, thousands?

"They turned everyone. Changed them into their own. The existence of the human race is going to be wiped."

"Peter, what were they?" Malia asked.

"That I cannot tell you."

"Well can't your little third eye'd friend over there tell you?" Lydia stood up with frustration. They just wanted answers and Peter was not giving them anything that they could work with.

"You think I haven't tried?" Peter laughed. "He won't say a word. Nothing."

Lydia looked ahead of Peter and to his cell mate. She walked around the table until she was an arm stretch away from the glass. She wasn't exactly sure of how to enable her powers, but it was now or never that she could try.

She closed her eyes, placing a hand to the glass. Whoever this person was that could apparently show the future, there must be some way of getting a reaction out of him. Lydia fell into her mind, trying her best to contact him.

After a few seconds, Lydia was prepared to give up. But her state of mind was transferred to another, and when she opened her eyes she wasn't in the Echlin house, she was standing in the middle of what looked like a battlefield.

Ruins of buildings and houses were scattered around her, fires attacking trees and the ground. Smoke filled the air, and Lydia could smell death around her. The smell of flesh, the smell of dead bodies; it made her want to let out a thousand screams.

Creatures ran past her with such speed, her long curls whipped with the wind. She followed their quick moves as their legs carried them, heading towards the dark in front. Then Lydia saw them all, the humans. Before she could even scream for them to run, they were attacked, pounced on by these creatures. Bodies thrown on the floor, blood and flesh flying. It brought tears to the banshee's eyes.

She kept her eyes focused on one human. They'd been bit then left alone. She managed to count just how many seconds had passed until the human lurched up, their back breaking as they screamed out. Eighteen seconds, Lydia kept in the back of her mind. She watched the human transform. First it was their skin, becoming paler and paler by the second. Then it was their eyes; their pupils dilated and a film of white coated over them. Their lips turned purple, purple and blue and when their disturbing eyes latched onto Lydia, she knew that she needed to leave. The transformed creature screamed and began to run towards her, running and running until it was just a few meters away and no matter how much Lydia begged, it wouldn't disappear. She caught a glimpse it its sharp, blood covered teeth, ready to bite into her skin just before she let out a piercing scream that would deafen every living thing in a three mile radius.

Lydia opened her eyes and she was face to face with Peter. Realising she was still screaming, she pushed away from the glass with her hands before feeling the table against her back. She let out a gasp before Kira and Malia were by her side.

"Lydia, are you okay?" Kira asked with wide eyes, taking note of the beads of sweat dripping down Lydia's face.

Lydia eventually slowed down her gasps for air before glaring at the mute cell mate of Peter's.

"What did you see?" Malia asked.

"The creatures..." Lydia whispered, her eyes darting around the room just to be sure she was brought back into reality.

"Did you recognise them? Are they something the pack's dealt with before?" Malia frowned with concern.

Lydia was quick to shake her head. Her hands were still shaking and the vision of the creature running towards wouldn't leave her mind.

"They...they looked like-" Lydia cut herself short. Was she really about to say this? She hoped her friends wouldn't think she was nuts, but with the amount of supernatural creatures they'd dealt with, this observation wouldn't be classed as crazy.

"They looked like zombies."


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as the station's door swung open, the sheriff knew exactly who it was. He looked down at his paperwork and sighed. This may Stile's new record.

"Dad." Stiles called out as he and Scott entered the sheriff's office.

"I can't tell you anything." The sheriff shot back.

"Come on, dad! Everyone's being so secretive!" Stiles sighed.

"Have you taken into consideration that the reason no one's telling you anything is because it's actually quite serious?" The sheriff looked up from his desk and rose an eyebrow.

Stiles pursed his lips. "How serious?"

"Very."

"Mr Stilinski," Scott began. The sheriff looked over at Scott. For the long amount of time knowing the young boy, never once would he address him by his first name. The kid was full of manners. "I can understand that you can't tell us anything, but we just want to help."

Stile's father sighed before standing up. "I get that, Scott. But you kids haven't had a break from this stuff for a long time. You've all been through a lot, and as much as I appreciate the help, I think you should have a break from all this and let other people handle it."

Scott looked down at the laminate flooring. The sheriff was right; there never really was a break from all this. It was one problem after the other. One supernatural disaster followed by the next one. But he wasn't the type to stand by and let others deal with it. Being an alpha meant taking care of his pack. Taking care of the ones he loved. And he wasn't prepared to sit back and not help.

The sheriff knew exactly what he was thinking and sighed. "Close the door, Stiles."

He did as his father told him before sitting down opposite, Scott followed.

"Now, I think this is a little out of your hands." The sheriff looked down at the file on his desk. "Something you may not be able to deal with on your own."

"How bad is it?" Scott asked.

"Well, it's not your usual evil supernatural creature that you can take down."

"Is it even supernatural related?" Stiles asked.

"It's a lot worse." The sheriff swallowed.

It then dawned on Stiles just how serious this was becoming. His insides began to drip with guilt at how he'd dealt with Lydia; telling her to forget about it and that it wasn't a big deal. He'd never disagreed on anything she thought was true, and nine times out of ten she was correct. He mentally kicked himself for being so insensitive and reminded himself to apologise when he saw her.

The young boys waited for the sheriff to begin explaining, he seemed a little sceptical of telling them. But when he looked up at the two boys; he could basically call them both his sons, since he'd knew Scott long enough, he knew he couldn't keep it from them.

"A virus has broken out, which you know of." He began.

"Ebola?" Stiles lifted an eyebrow. When he saw his father nod, the guilt dripped a little more. Lydia's hunch was correct.

"From what's been aware, it was just situated in Africa. But today, with the birds...they were tested. They'd flowed in from Columbia." The sheriff almost chuckled. What a long way they travelled.

"So, animals can carry it?" Scott asked.

"So it seems. From what forensics have said, as well as what your father has told me, the birds caught it from other birds that eventually do lead to African grounds."

"So...what happens now?" Stiles asked.

"I'm not sure. They've got to deal with the disease being carried across lands. It's obviously not just here the birds have hit, they've spread across the south. Vaccines have been sent from us and Britain to other countries but there's not much else they can do except travel to all the states to do tests, to make sure no one's contaminated. They'll probably be coming to us any time soon, considering what happened today."

"What made the birds do that? It was as if they were set to kill themselves." Stiles frowned as he spoke the words, he sounded silly.

"That's what they're struggling with. Tests were showing odd behaviour in the animal's blood stream."

"What does that mean?" Scott asked.

The sheriff exhaled before picking up a picture from the file and handing it to the boys. They took a look at the photo; it showed one of the birds, but it struck them. Their feathers were no longer and their skin was almost see-through. You could see its veins vividly.

"Is this the disease? Is that what it does to you?" Stiles looked up at his father. With no reply, he handed them another photo. This one showed a bird with it's eyes open. Just white. Not the normal black beady eyes you would usually see on a crow, just white. It looked possessed.

"Ebola doesn't do this to you." The sheriff shook his head as the boys handed the photos back. "It triggers internally. That's what we don't get. It doesn't add up."

"Do you think, maybe something's mixed with it? Maybe the disease has reacted with something in the birds' system?" Stiles asked.

"There's a possibility. Forensics are flying out to South Africa to test on the bodies that have been infected, see if there's any symptoms that relate to what we're dealing with here." The sheriff sat back down and looked at the photos once again.

"Well, you wasn't wrong when you said it was out of our hands." Stiles sniffed, looking from his father to Scott.

"We need to go see the girls, find out what Peter told them." Scott returned the gaze with his best friend.

"What does Peter have to do with this?" The sheriff asked, looking up.

Usually Stiles would give his father the basics, so he didn't worry him. But due to what his father just told them both, Stiles owed him an explanation.

"Derek and Malia visited him yesterday, he was saying that the end is near. That he'd seen the future."

The sheriff raised an eyebrow.

"His cell mate has an eye in his forehead." Stiles mumbled. The sheriff nodded, also not phased by the news.

"Well, if there's any information that may help me, you know where I'll be."

"Thanks, sheriff." Scott nodded.

"Thanks, dad. We won't say a word." Stiles added.

"Except to the pack." Sheriff smirked knowingly.

Stiles tilted his head. "...we'll be telling the pack. But that's the only people who will be in the know, I promise."

The sheriff smiled at his son. "I'll see you tonight, kiddo."

..

"So, a virus." Stiles shrugged as he drove. "A little different to what we usually deal with."

"You're telling me." Scott chuckled. "I don't even know where to start."

"I don't think there's actually anything we can do." Stiles replied as Scott's phone began to ring.

He answered to Kira. "Scott, you and Stiles need to come over to Lydia's."

"What's wrong?" Scott frowned, gaining worry from Stiles.

"I'll explain when you get here. It's nothing serious, but Lydia's in a bit of a state."

"Is Lydia alright?" Scott asked. Stiles snapped his head towards his best friend.

"What's wrong with Lydia?"

"She's fine. It was just something she saw when we visited Peter. I can't really explain it over the phone."

"Okay, we won't be long." Scott replied before saying his goodbyes and hanging up.

"Is Lydia okay?" Stiles asked, his eyes darting from Scott to the road.

"She's fine, Stiles. Let's just get to her place and find out what's going on."


	6. Chapter 6

When they arrived at the Martin household, the boys didn't really know what to expect. After hearing all of what the sheriff had told them, they wondered whether the girls' news would actually link to it all.

They didn't even have to knock; the front door flung open. Malia stood there, her face flushed and her hair tied back.

"One of you needs to calm her down."

Stiles brushed past his girlfriend and headed towards the living room, seeing Kira crouched in front of Lydia.

"Lydia." Stiles breathed, rushing towards the red-head who was currently finding it hard to remain still. "What happened?"

"I don't know how, but she managed to get inside Peter's cell mate's head." Malia followed Scott into the room, folding her arms.

"Peter said creatures were going take over, thousands of them." Kira stood up and looked at Scott. "He said they were going to wipe the human race."

"Lydia saw it all." Malia sat down on the sofa.

"It was awful." Lydia let out a gasp as her arms wrapped around herself. The pack turned to look down at her; Scott imagined it was probably the first thing she'd said since leaving the Echlin house.

Stiles bent down in front of the Banshee and looked her in the eyes. She'd been crying; her mascara was stained under her eyes and her cheeks were flushed. As she cried she was shaking and taking in quick breaths. The first thought that swept through Stile's mind was a panic attack. And out of anyone he was best at handling them.

"Lydia, listen." He whispered, placing his hands on her thighs. "Shh, it's alright."

Lydia's bottom lip wobbled as she attempted to stop crying, but it was just making it worse. Stiles had never seen her like this.

"Hey, Lyds."

That caught Lydia's attention. She sniffed, looking into Stiles eyes. He hadn't called her that in a long time.

"You're okay." His voice was soothing. "Whatever you saw, it's not real. You're with us, alright? You're okay."

Lydia closed her eyes. How the tables had turned. It was once her who was pulling Stiles out of a panic attack. She felt silly; she knew exactly how to stop one but when it came to experiencing it, her own knowledge was useless.

"Just listen to my voice."

Memories from the Echlin house creeped into Lydia's mind. The thought of her and Stiles being trapped in a basement with a lunatic trying to kill them wasn't a great memory to think of, but if it took her mind off of what she saw today, she was okay with that.

Inhaling and exhaling, she focused on regaining her breath. She thought of the way Stiles was slowly running his hands up and down her thighs comfortingly, and when she stopped shaking, her pulled her hands down and held them tightly, rubbing his thumb over hers.

Stiles barely realised Scott ushering everyone out of the room. It was probably best; Lydia would be embarrassed no doubt, and with everyone else there, it was probably putting pressure on her to regain her posture.

Lydia sank into the arm chair once she was back to normal. A little worn out, but happy none of the less. She looked down at Stiles and exhaled.

"You okay?" He whispered, still holding onto her hands. She nodded, sending him a smile.

"Thank you." She sniffed.

"Don't thank me. You'd do it for me. Heck, you've done it before." Stiles smiled.

They both were thinking the same thing, reminding themselves of what actually happened in the locker room. It seemed so long ago, but the feeling was still fresh on Stile's lips.

He coughed and stood up, giving Lydia's hands one more squeeze before letting them go.

Scott and the girls entered the room with some drinks. A large glass of water for Lydia and a pot of tea. As well as a few snacks they conjured up in the cupboards. "I hope you don't mind, Lydia..."

"No, no. Go ahead." Lydia sat upright, wiping under her eyes. "Help yourselves. I'm gonna go change and wash my face."

They watched her leave the room before everyone settled down.

"Is she okay now?" Scott asked Stiles.

"Yeah...yeah, she's good. That must have been awful, what she saw, for her to react like that." Stiles looked down at Malia and Kira as they settled on the sofa, pouring themselves a hot drink.

"She was screaming when she came back around." Kira looked at Stiles as he sat where Lydia was. "It was an awful scream."

"A banshee scream?" Scott asked, sitting beside Kira.

"No, it wasn't that powerful. But whatever she saw, it's affected her." Malia replied before sipping some tea.

"I'm gonna call Derek, I think we need a pack meeting." Scott said, pulling out his phone. "And I think we should order some take-out. Any suggestions?"

"Pizza." Malia grinned. Stiles smiled. He had his father to thank for that, but at least she wasn't craving wild animals any more.


	7. Chapter 7

By the time Lydia had joined everyone in the living room, Derek had turned up as well as Liam, much to Scott's dismay. But the boy wanted to help, and since he was the reason Scott was here and still not a berserker, Scott had agreed for him to come tonight.

"Pizza's on its way." Scott looked up at Lydia who had a fresh face and fresh pyjamas.

"Ham and pineapple?" She looked between Scott and Stiles.

"Of course." Stiles nodded. She was much more herself now, much more chirpier.

As Lydia sat down between Derek and Liam, Stiles took the time to appreciate her beauty. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, and her skin was fresh and make-up free. Her eyes were still a little red, but she looked beautiful.

Scott handed Lydia the glass of water and she accepted it gratefully. After taking a few gulps, she put the glass on the coffee table, placed her manicured hands on her lap and looked around.

"So, what did I miss?"

Scott looked at Stiles before filling her in on everything they knew. From the disease - she was quick to send Stiles an 'I told you' look - to the tests that showed signs of the birds mutating. She glared at Scott once he explained the pictures.

"Did you say the eyes were dilated?" She asked.

"Yeah, they were just white. And their skin, it was just-"

"Clear." She finished Scott's sentence for him.

Scott was about to ask her how she knew before stopping himself. He shifted on the sofa and looked at her with concern. "Lydia, what did you see?"

She was aware of the room being quite full, much more compact than earlier and she felt quite vulnerable. But Lydia took a deep breath and began explaining.

"I don't know how I managed it." She shrugged. "One minute I was attempting to get through to this man in the cell, not knowing how to go about it. Then all of a sudden I'm in this different place."

Stiles pulled in his lips and watched Lydia as she explained. Her eyes glazed over again, just like earlier. But she composed herself and carried on.

"It was as if the world was on fire." She whispered. "Buildings were ruined, everything had gone up in flames, a total disaster. And that's when I saw them."

"What did they look like?" Liam asked.

"Zombies." Malia spoke up. She had know idea what the word meant, but she was happy to add to the conversation.

The boys exchanged frowns.

Lydia looked at Malia and nodded. "As much as I hate to admit it, that was the first thing I thought of. They were running so fast. Attacking humans, shredding them to pieces. It was disgusting."

Stiles fidgeted in his seat. The thought of it, it was just insane. They handled supernatural things on a day to day basis, but zombies? It was just a myth, right?

"I watched a human transform. Eighteen seconds, it took them." Lydia remembered. Stiles, Scott and Derek almost smiled at her preciseness.

"The way they looked; the dilated eyes, the skin...it matches exactly what you explained the birds to look like." Lydia explained. "It looked right at me. I can't even explain the look in its eyes. It was as if I was a piece a meat and it hadn't eaten in years. And then it was running towards me."

Stiles could see her getting worked up again, and Scott could feel her heartbeat increasing.

"It was running so fast and I couldn't move. It was snarling at me, and in that moment I was so sure it was real and that I was done for..." Lydia's voice cracked, her hands beginning to shake.

"Okay, I think that's enough." Stiles stood up. "Lets, maybe stick a film on. Star Wars anyone?"

The pack groaned, and as they got into a heated debate about which film to choose, Stiles gestured for Lydia to join him in the kitchen.

"If it makes a difference, I was totally up for Star Wars." Lydia smiled as the laughter and conversation was left in the living room.

Stiles chuckled and turned to Lydia. "I'm sorry."

She frowned. "Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for not sticking by you when you were the first to realise something had gone wrong. I shouldn't have done that."

"Stiles, you don't need to apologise. Until this evening, all I had to prove was a stupid feeling-"

"That's not the point. Your feelings are always right, they're far from stupid. I'm the stupid one for not believing in you." Stiles replied.

Lydia pushed out her lips in that cute way that Stiles loved before she sent him a smile. "Thank you."

He smiled back before his features stiffened. "Are you okay? You know, after today..."

"I'm fine, Stiles." Lydia sighed. He was always worried. "Nothing I can't handle."

Stiles shook his head. She was honestly something else. One of the strongest people he'd met.

He kept his eyes locked onto hers, his insides fluttering as he once again took in her natural beauty. Without all that make-up, she looked a little vulnerable, even know he knew she was far from it. The fact that she was open to sit with her friends, some she didn't know that well, not looking like her usual red lipstick self showed Stiles that she'd grown so much since he first met her. The old Lydia wouldn't even dream of leaving her room without concealer on. She'd turned into such a strong, independent woman who was capable of handling anything that was thrown at her. And the more he looked into her and learned more about her, he realised that his silly little school crush had turned into something much-

"Food's here." Lydia broke from his gaze as the doorbell rung, making a swift exit towards the door.

Stiles swallowed, trying to coat his dry throat. His heartbeat had increased and he prayed to god that no werewolf in this house had realised. Especially not Malia.

Scott entered the kitchen to help with the food, checking up on Lydia for her to reply with a simple "you worry far too much, McCall". The three of them brought the pizza boxes into the living room and set them on the coffee table, along with dips and a few bottles of soda.

Much to the boys' dismay, Malia and Kira had won; they were watching the Notebook.

"This is your favourite film, right, Lydia?" Kira looked over at the red-head as she settled on the sofa. God knows how she found that out.

Lydia tilted her head and lightly shrugged. "It used to be. Not any more."

Stiles looked over at her and smirked. She looked back and rolled her eyes. He was pretty sure that they were the only two in the room who actually wanted to watch Star Wars.

..

So, what was meant to be a pack meeting had turned into a slumber party, minus Derek. His last words before leaving were "why am I sitting here watching an awful chick flick with a bunch of teenagers when I can be enjoying some quality time with a hot assassin waiting for me at home".

It was another school day tomorrow, but no one wanted to leave Lydia alone. And she was thankful for that. She wasn't prepared to wake up from an awful nightmare with no one to turn to. She pined for the day her mother was home from her business trip.

Stiles, Scott and Lydia were the last ones awake, and knowing it was going to be a sleepless night with Malia kicking Stiles in the chest as she slept and Liam's surprising snoring, they ventured out into the garden.

The three of them laid down on a deck chair each, wrapping the blankets that they brought out with them around their bodies. They looked up at the night sky. The moon was shining down on Lydia's pool, illuminating the teenagers' faces. Lydia was the first to speak.

"What are we going to do?"

Her and Stiles were both waiting for an answer from Scott, a reassuring statement that he usually would come out with.

"I don't know." He replied. His voice was quiet and he was annoyed with himself, truthfully. He'd always have a plan, a way of saving his pack and anyone involved. But right now, as they looked up at the starry sky with all kinds of scenarios running through their minds, he had no idea what they were going to do. A part of him, as he looked up, hoped that Allison was looking down on them. He hoped she was proud of what they'd become since she'd been gone. Proud of the friends they've made, the matters they'd dealt with. But most of all, Scott wanted her to be lying on the fourth empty deck chair, joining in on them worrying about the next move to make. His heart wrenched at the thought of her not ever experiencing anything with them ever again. He could imagine her sitting up and looking at the three of them, telling them to stop panicking and take it as it comes.

"We've just got to take it as it comes." He whispered.

Lydia smiled into the night. "You sound just like Allison."

Scott felt the tears threatening to appear, but he smiled. He was glad she was still being mentioned, that her habits and the way she acted was still fresh on everyone's minds.

Stiles let out a chuckle. ""Will you guys stop worrying and get some sleep? We have school tomorrow"." He mimicked Allison's voice, causing Scott and Lydia to laugh.

The three teenagers settled into the peaceful silence, Allison on their thoughts. It was a nice way to end the night, reminiscing.


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as Lydia walked into the school halls, she was hit was chaos, worry and panic.

Forensics were everywhere; in every room, throughout the halls, lining up the students and ordering them around. They were being tested.

Lydia swallowed before slowly walking forward, hoping to bump into at least one of her friends. They were nowhere to be seen.

A man in a blue protective suit approached her. He looked at her through the plastic covering his face and ordered her to stand alongside the lockers where the rest of the students were. As Lydia did what she was told, she noticed how terrified everyone looked. From freshman to senior, they all had that flicker of fear in their eyes as one by one they were being asked to move into a classroom. It was like something out of a disaster film.

Lydia rubbed her arms with her hands as her queue slowly began to move down. Her eyes darted the hall; one of her friends must be here. She just wanted someone she knew next to her so they could worry together. After looking around at the authority, she pulled out her phone and scrolled down to Scott in her contacts. Just as she was about to hit 'call', a man in a blue suit ushered her attention.

"Phone's off and away."

Lydia swallowed before nodding quickly, her phone in her bag.

..

"Jesus Christ, that was frightening." Stiles breathed as he checked over the small prick of blood that sat on the inside of his thumb. He did what the nurse said and pressed the cotton wool against it.

"Well, at least we know we're not infected, right?" Scott looked over at him as they were escorted out of the classroom.

"You could say that again-" Before Stiles finished his sentence, he noticed the familiar red head being led into the classroom just as they were heading out. "Lydia."

"Stiles." She replied quickly with wide eyes. "Are you-are you both...okay?"

"Yeah, we're clear." Scott nodded as the impatient man in blue asked them to hurry along.

"Good." Lydia pulled in her lips, her face pale.

"You'll be okay, Lydia." Stiles looked into her eyes. "Don't panic."

She exhaled before letting the man in blue escort her over to what seemed to be multiple plastic rooms, all sectioned off from one another. She passed a young girl who looked extremely relieved to be out and healthy. Lydia could do this, there was no need to panic.

She sat down on the stool in the centre of this plastic room and studied the doctor in front of her.

"Can I take your name, dear?" He asked.

"L-Lydia. Lydia Martin." Lydia shook, her eyes darting to the nurse waiting by her side.

"Well, miss Martin. You don't have to worry, alright? It's just a simple prick into the thumb then you can be on your way." The doctor smiled at her through his plastic shield before taking her thumb. He was right. It was over in a flash.

Lydia blurred out the nurse as she explained what to do with the cotton piece, she was just happy she was clear. She stood up, said her thanks and stepped out of the plastic to be lead towards the door. And that's when an alarm so piercing swept through the room and caused every hair on her neck to stand up.

..

"We'll all be alright, right?" Stiles paced the hall, waiting and waiting for Lydia to come out with a bright smile. "We all eat our greens, always wash our hands. We will all be fine."

"You're rambling, Stiles." Scott muttered, leaning against the locker.

"I know." Stiles sighed, rolling his eyes at his best friend. "I just can't-"

Then they were covering their ears, as well as everyone else around them. An alarm rattled through the corridors, and almost immediately every figure of authority were heading towards the classroom that Lydia was in.

The boys slowly let their hands slip down and stared at the door. Stiles stepped forward and he was pretty sure he'd forgotten how to breathe.

"Oh god."


	9. Chapter 9

"Lydia!" Stiles screamed, rushing towards the crowd of agents blocking the door.

"Son, back away!" One yelled, easily stopping Stiles from stepping any closer.

"Stiles, calm down!" Scott roared, pulling his best friend back by his shoulder.

"Please, no. No, no, no." Stiles shook his head, his eyes never leaving the door. "Please let her be okay."

..

"What-what is going on-" Lydia stuttered, twisting and turning as the forensics began to get everyone out of the classroom. Lydia could feel someone pulling on her shoulder, but her eyes were fixed on the last plastic room at the end. It had been zipped up quickly, and she could see the silhouette of a young boy panicking as authorities pinned him down to the stool. She could hear his screams. She felt awful for him.

She was being pulled out now, out the door and into the halls. Before she even had time to digest what just happened, she felt two hands on her shoulders and then cupping her face.

"Jesus Christ, Lydia. You scared the shit out of me!" Stiles was yelling at her, pain in his voice before he pulled her into his arms. She was stunned, and she looked over Stiles' shoulder to Scott who looked equally as terrified as his best friend.

"You're okay? You're okay, right?" Stiles kept his hands on Lydia's cheeks, searching for anything different.

"Stiles, I'm fine." She squeaked, looking around the hall.

"What happened? Is someone infected?" Scott asked as Stiles eventually let go over Lydia, one hand not leaving her arm.

Lydia nodded. "I didn't see who it was, but it was terrifying. He looked so scared."

"We need to find the girls." Scott stated, his heart beating rapidly.

..

"Well the main thing is, we're all clear." Malia said. "And whoever _is_ infected has been dealt with and won't be a problem."

The pack quickly glanced over at the were-coyote who hadn't quite yet gained any sympathy for others.

"This is all happening so quickly." Kira murmured. "In the space of a day, we've discovered that zombies may actually exist."

"We need to keep our cool. The last thing we can do is panic." Scott informed his pack.

"So, we just sit here and either wait for it all to blow over or for us all to eventually be infected?" Malia raised an eyebrow.

"I don't see no other choice." Scott shrugged. "We can't do anything to help, and the more we involve ourselves the more dangerous it will become."

They all looked at each other; it was an odd feeling to be helpless. It was usually them sitting down and conjuring up a plan to take down the enemy and managing to do so without anyone knowing. This was something the whole world knew about, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. It was out of their control.

..

"Yukimura, you're on!"

Coach yelled over to the kitsune just after blowing his whistle. She got up in a hurry and rushed to the field, smiling at Scott before taking her mark.

"Greenberg, get off the field and sit down. You're atrocious."

Malia clapped loudly as Kira jogged on the spot, warming up before the game began.

"Malia, you don't have to clap or cheer." Lydia smirked as she read through her biology homework that she'd been set with. "It's just practise."

"Whatever keeps them going." Malia shrugged. "What's up with you, by the way."

Lydia frowned, looking up from the sheets of paper on her lap. "What?"

"You absolutely reek of anxiety."

"You say that to everyone."

"It's the only smell I'm best getting a sense of, and right now you stink." Malia smirked.

Lydia sighed and looked up at the were-coyote. "The boy who was infected today. I just can't stop thinking about him."

"Why?"

"I just want to know...what happened to him? What did they do with him? Is he being treated, is it too late for him?" Lydia asked aloud one question after the other while watching the players run up and down the field, Coach giving them tips in an alarmingly loud tone.

"We can find out." Malia shrugged.

"No, we can't." Lydia shook her head.

"Sure we can, I can track his scent. We'll find out where they've taken him, and maybe it'll prepare us for what's to come." Malia suggested.

Lydia let a polite smile creep up her lips; Malia had come a long way since being changed back to human. She was a fast learner.

"Okay, but under one condition." Lydia mumbled, shuffling closer to Malia. The were-coyote raised an eyebrow knowingly.

"Don't tell Stiles?"

"Don't tell Stiles."


	10. Chapter 10

"Have you got anything?" Lydia murmured to the were-coyote as she sniffed the locker door of the infected student.

"No, it's weak." Malia mumbled, continuously sniffed the metal. Lydia leaned against the locker next to her friend, noticing the strange stairs they were receiving from passing students.

"You need to hurry up because people are staring." Lydia sang under her breath, smiling awkwardly at the faces in front of her.

"Got it." Malia stood up straight, her nose in the air. She grabbed Lydia's arm and lead her towards the school doors. "You're driving."

"Obviously." Lydia rolled her eyes. "Are you going to be able to hold onto the scent in a vehicle?"

Malia shrugged. "Maybe. I'll just stick my head out of the window."

Lydia watched the girl walk on and sighed. "I can't remember a time when my life was actually normal."

..

"Any news?" The sheriff rose from his desk after clocking Agent McCall enter his office.

"One boy is infected, the rest of the school is clear." McCall replied. The sheriff loosened up a bit. He knew Stiles and his friends were okay - Stiles rung him earlier - but it was still playing on his mind all day.

"What now?"

"The hospital has sectioned off the top floor to treat the infected." McCall didn't sound too pleased about that; the sheriff assumed Melissa was involved somewhere along the line. "Altogether we have fifteen being treated."

"Any news on the tests in Africa?" The sheriff asked.

McCall sat down and sighed. "The infected bodies are gradually showing the same symptoms as the birds. It's amazing; they're dead but yet their skin is turning see-through. It's as if the infection is still stimulating through their system."

The sheriff sat down and massaged his temples. "This is insane."

"You're not the first to say that, sheriff."

..

Stiles walked out of the changing rooms with Scott on his tail, his phone against his ear and a frown on his face. "Hey, where are you?"

"Uh..." Malia turned to face Lydia as the were-coyote stretched her head of the window like an excited puppy.

"Library!" Lydia mouthed, her eyes moving from Malia to the road.

"We're at the library." Malia yelled through the wind. "Lydia's helping me with my biology homework."

"What's that noise?" Stiles frowned.

Malia felt her hair whip around her face as she looked at the road ahead. "Air conditioning."

Lydia rolled her eyes; Stiles' traits seemed to have been rubbing off on Malia.

"Uh, okay. Well we're going to grab some food if you both want to join us." Stiles asked, turning to see Scott greet Kira.

"I'm not sure, we're really getting into this homework." Malia shrugged at Lydia as she spoke.

"O...kay, well text me if you change your mind." Stiles replied with a raised eyebrow. They said their goodbyes and hung up.

"Good god, Malia!" Lydia sighed, massaging her head as she drove.

"I tried my best!"

"Where are we going?"

"Turn left here. I've got a feeling we're heading towards the-"

"The hospital." Lydia nodded. "Yep, I got that."


	11. Chapter 11

The two teenagers entered the hospital, nervous and sceptical. Quickly avoiding the receptionist, they scurried towards the elevator.

"What floor?" Lydia asked.

Malia breathed in a few times. "Top floor, I think."

Lydia pressed the button, watching it illuminate before the elevator began to move up. As soon as the doors began to open, Lydia hurried out and looked both ways. Noticing the basket of surgical masks hanging on the wall, she pulled two out. "Here."

Malia exited the elevator and looked around before a surgical mask was pushed into her hands. "Smart."

Lydia nodded before they both placed on the masks and headed to the first door they saw. Lydia pulled on the handle but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked."

"Wait a sec'." Malia stretched out her hand, revealing her claws before she stuck one claw between the double doors.

"You've really learned to pick locks?" Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"We wouldn't be here if I didn't." Malia replied as the lock clicked. She pulled the door open and stepped in the next hall.

The atmosphere changed completely, you didn't have to have super senses to work that one out. The girls stepped cautiously and silently, now aware they could be in serious trouble if they were caught.

They sneaked around the halls, their eyes darting in every direction.

"Maybe this was a bad idea-" Lydia whispered just as Malia pulled her to the side against a wall.

"Look."

Lydia followed the were-coyote's gaze and watched a door fly open. A doctor began to pull out a stretcher; he was dressed exactly the same as the people at school. Protective head wear, blue from head to foot. Lydia felt vulnerable in her floral dress.

"Signs of skin changing, eyes dilating. Son of a bitch, it's happening quicker than we expected." The doctor called out to his colleagues as they helped him wheel the stretcher through the hallway.

"Do we follow them?" Malia turned to Lydia for confirmation.

"I don't think you should." A different voice spoke up behind them, the blood draining from their heads as they spun around.

"Mrs McCall, I-" Lydia's voice was apologetic.

"What the hell are you both doing here?" Melissa hissed, leading them back out of the hall. "If you get caught you both you could get into so much trouble, or worse. You could have got infected."

Lydia swallowed. "We're so sorry, we were just..."

"Curious?" Melissa asked.

"We want to help." Malia spoke up.

"Kids, there's nothing you can do. We're still not sure of how to deal with it ourselves." Melissa sighed.

"What happened to the boy at school, who was infected?" Lydia asked. She knew she was pushing her boundaries.

Mrs McCall sighed before lowering her voice. "They've all been sectioned off. We have the treatment, but something's mixed with the virus."

"We know, zombies." Malia added.

Lydia looked from the were-coyote to Scott's mother. "I saw the future."

Melissa raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask me how, but I did. And everyone who is infected will turn into these flesh eating creatures and they were so many of them, Mrs McCall."

Melissa took a few moments to take the information in. She looked at Lydia with hard eyes, noticing how tired and desperate the girl looked. "If the infected get any worse, we're been instructed to transport them to the military base just outside of town. They're going to section half of it off."

Lydia pulled in her lips. "Is it getting worse?"

Melissa looked from one teenager to another. "It's getting so much worse."

..

Stiles never felt more like a third wheel than this evening. He stepped out of the diner, hearing Scott and Kira mutter between themselves. He kicked the gravel on the floor just as his phone began to ring. "Hello?"

"Hey. You guys free?" Malia asked.

"Yeah, where are you?"

"We're at Lydia's." Malia replied.

Stiles stopped walking, becoming annoyed and anxious. "You've been with her quite a lot, don't you think?"

Malia paused. "Isn't that a good thing? Me hanging out with your friends?"

Stiles stiffened. Scott was a friend. Kira was a friend. Lydia? She was something, and the longer they both spent time together the more panicked Stiles became. He had nothing to hide, but he still felt on edge.

"We'll be over in ten."

..

"You went where?!"

"See, we both knew you would react this way." Malia lifted up a finger. The banshee rolled her eyes.

"Stop being so dramatic, Stiles."

"Lydia, you broke into a quarantine zone." Stiles glared at the red-head as she sat cross-legged on her bed.

"Will you keep it down?! If my mom finds out I'll be grounded till I'm ninety-five." Lydia whispered.

"Maybe she should! It'll stop you from fleeing from one illegal place to another. Where next, a drug den?"

"Stiles, you're definitely being over-dramatic." Scott sniffed as he spun on Lydia's desk chair.

"Scott, seriously-"

"Just sit down and shut up." Lydia ordered the boy. He glared at her before sitting down on the floor. "We spoke to your mom, Scott."

Scott stopped spinning and looked over at the banshee. "What? Why was she there?"

"Well, considering it's her place of work..." Lydia frowned at the alpha for his dumb reply.

"Why was she in the quarantine zone?"

"I don't know, but she's fine." Lydia reassured her friend. "The symptoms are becoming much worse. It's happening faster."

"Did you see any of the infected?" Kira asked, leaning against Lydia's dresser.

"Barely. Pupils dilated, skin clear."

"Mrs McCall said if it gets worse, they'll be moving them to the military base to be sectioned off." Malia added, sitting next to Lydia.

"Okay, now you have the information you wanted, can you please stop breaking into military operations?" Stiles asked the two girls.

"Stiles, you were the one that dragged me around the school to go spy on the dead birds in quarantine." Scott mentioned.

"Really, Scott?" Stiles sighed. Lydia raised an eyebrow and Malia rolled her eyes.

..

Derek lifted up his head to the sound of the loft door rumbling open. He knew who to expect, but when Braedon stepped into the room with blood splattered across her chest with a gun in her hand, he began to panic.

"Wha-"

Braedon lifted a hand to prevent Derek from talking before letting out a breath of air she hadn't realise she'd been holding.

"I have seen and killed some pretty crazy things in my time, but never have I had to kill a zombie."


	12. Chapter 12

"How did this even happen?" Scott stopped pacing to look at Braedon. The pack had gathered in Derek's loft after receiving a very abrupt text from Derek that declared a meeting.

"I was on my bike, driving into town and this creature sprinted towards me." Braedon explained, still pretty dumbstruck. "Knocked me straight off my bike and started gnawing at me. Luckily I had my gun, otherwise I'd be dead meat. The thing was incredibly strong."

"Was it definitely a zombie?" Stiles asked, one arm folded while he bit his nails.

"I've not seen many zombie movies, but I can guarantee it matched the specifics. " Braedon raised an eyebrow.

"Where did it come from? I thought they had the all infected sectioned off in hospital." Liam frowned worriedly.

"Obviously they didn't section them all." Derek stated blankly.

"I need to tell my dad." Stiles spoke up.

"So do I." Scott added.

"How did you kill it?" Lydia asked. Everyone turned to stare at her oddly. "Like, did you shoot it in the head? In the chest?"

"Well, I actually shot it three times in the heart - if it even _has _a heart - but that didn't work. So I blew it's head off." Braedon shrugged.

One by one everyone but Derek extracted their odd looks from Lydia and turned to Braedon.

"Why are you wondering how she killed it, Lydia?" Stiles frowned at the red-head.

"So that we can be prepared, right?" Kira looked over at Lydia in hope she got it right. Lydia sent her a nod. The kitsune was a smart girl.

"Say we do get attacked...we're going to need to know how to defend ourselves. Because clearly, if there's one of them, there's going to be more. And if this is anything like my vision, they'll bite. And they'll infect."

"So you're saying that we've got to carry around a gun with us everywhere? Can't we just rip out their throats?" Malia asked Lydia, gesturing to the wolves in the room.

"We don't know how contaminable these creatures are. You don't want to risk a single drop of whatever they have inside them on you." Lydia pointed out. "You don't exactly have to carry around a weapon, but so long as you can kill them; do whatever you must to, well, blow their heads off."

Braedon smirked at the young girl's comment.

"This is surreal." Liam mumbled.

"It may seem absolutely terrifying and crazy, but we need to be prepared." Scott spoke up. "Yes, this is out of our control, but we'll have to deal with it just like everyone else. It's out in the open. There's no magic, no curses, no wolfsbane that can help us out. It's just us against them."

Silence filled the loft as everyone slowly digested that this was it. They had no protection. Zombies were out there and the only thing that was stopping them come between them and humans was pure luck.

"Well, I'm gonna go home and start...preparing." Stiles shrugged, still unable to take it all in. "Watch some zombie movies or something."

"You're not going anywhere, you're staying here." Derek bellowed just as Stiles began to walk towards the door. He sounded just like the sheriff. "All of you will stay here until authority has been informed and people are sent out to protect the area. Stiles, call your dad. And, Scott-"

"I'm on it." Scott lifted his phone up before pressing it against his ear.

Stiles exhaled before fumbling for his phone.

..

"They've got troops coming in from the military camp to patrol the town. They're also testing everyone they come into contact with." Scott explained to the pack after ending the call with his father.

"Why aren't they evacuating everyone?" Lydia frowned, folding her arms.

"They're not going to take such extreme measures if they haven't actually seen any infected - not that they think you're lying, Braedon." Scott reassured the assassin.

"Well, what do we do in the meantime?" Malia asked.

"We wait. Until they give us the all clear." Scott shrugged. "Alerts have been sent to the local news channel, so we could-"

"No TV." Derek pointed out, gesturing to the empty loft.

"We have our phones, Hale." Stiles lifted his iPhone before flashing Derek a sarcastic smile.

Receiving a glare from Derek, Stiles sat down on the couch next to Malia and began to check the news sites for any updates.

After a couple of minutes, almost everyone's phone began to ring expectantly; their parents must have been worried.

"Mom-I'm fine, I'm fine. Yes, I know. Just please stay inside. Yes, I'm safe-I promise!" Lydia muttered into her phone.

"Hey, mom. I won't make it for dinner." Kira babbled nervously. "Yes, I'm aware worse things are happening than missing a meal."

"I'm safe, are you safe? What do you mean, Mason's there? Why is Mason there?" Liam frowned. "Well, tell him I had no signal. And also tell him to not go anywhere and just stay with you, alright?"

"Georgia, what? No, tell her to stay in Europe. She doesn't need to worry." Lydia's brows creased together as she took in what her mother was saying.

Stiles' head snapped up at the sound of Lydia mentioning her older sister. She'd spoke of her once, shocking him and Scott that she actually had a sister. She currently lived in France after travelling Europe and Lydia didn't see that much of her.

As the three teenagers continued to reassure their parents that they were safe, the others sat in silence. Stiles could see Malia was uncomfortable; she had no one to call. Her father was locked up and she'd disconnected herself from her fake dad a month back, much to Stiles' dismay. She still had trouble understanding what family and friends really meant. Of course, she loved her fake father, but she'd spent so many years as a coyote that Stiles believed she'd lost the ability to find emotional love. She didn't find it that hard to break away from her fake father.

Stiles didn't like that one bit. Malia's fake father was more of a father figure than Peter would ever be, but Malia still had a lot to learn about loyalty. But she was getting there, he could see that. Exhaling, Stiles placed a hand on his girlfriend's back and his thumb traced circles on her spine.

"When they give us an all clear, you can all go home." Derek spoke up, walking over to his large window.

"You can all take one of my guns, if that'll make you feel better." Braedon added, gesturing to the table displaying all of her weaponry.

"Um...thank you?" Liam smiled politely. "I don't think my parents would be too happy if I brought a gun home with me, though."

"Well, you've got no choice." Braedon smiled back, chucking the youngest pack member a pistol. He caught it quickly, looking down at the gun as if it was new existence.


	13. Chapter 13

As soon as the teenagers left Derek's building, the cold breeze sent a wave of insecurity over them. They felt extremely vulnerable.

Authority had called the all clear, but the fact that there were flesh eating creatures out on the loose caused the hairs on the back of their necks to stand up.

"How about...you all come back to mine?" Scott spoke up in a loud whisper as they walked towards their vehicles.

Stiles looked at Malia for approval. After she disconnected herself from her fake father, she spent most nights either at the Stilinski's household or in the loft with Derek and Braedon.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Malia nodded.

"If you don't mind, I'm going home. I don't want my mother to be on her own." Lydia pulled her lips in.

"I'm gonna go back to mine, as well." Liam nodded, placing his hands in his pockets.

"I'll give you a ride home, Liam." Lydia smiled as she unlocked her car, heading towards the drivers side. Liam smiled back before quickly making his way to her vehicle.

"Text me-or Scott, when you both get home." Stiles called out, his eyes locking with Lydia's as she looked up.

"We will. Stay safe, guys." Lydia smiled at the four left standing before getting into her car and slamming the door.

The four teenagers watched Lydia drive off with a worried Liam waving back at them before hopping into Stiles' jeep.

..

Lydia tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she looked out into the dark evening of Beacon Hills. Every movement of the trees, or the flicker of a street lamp put her on edge. The radio was on low but she seemed to be blocking it out with all the thoughts running about her mind.

As she turned left at the lights, Lydia looked over to the young boy sitting next to her. "You alright, Liam?"

He pulled his eyes from the window and locked them with Lydia's. "Y-yeah. I'm nervous. Just want to be with my family, really."

"I know, it's scary. But we'll be okay." Lydia smiled. "We always get through the tough times. Even when they seem absolutely terrifying."

"Aren't you exhausted?" Liam asked after a few seconds of silence. Lydia turned to the boy, mentally asking him to elaborate.

"You and Scott, Derek and Stiles have been dealing with this a heck of a lot longer than me or Kira or Malia have. Aren't you tired of it yet?"

Lydia frowned slightly, thinking back to all the times the pack have had to fight for their lives. "It's been extremely tough. There are times when I just want it to all go back to normal, when I didn't know about werewolves or banshees or kanimas or hunters. But if it weren't for all this, I never would have gotten to know Scott or Stiles or Derek. If it wasn't for them and Allison, I probably would have still been the same obnoxious, stuck up person I was a couple of years ago."

Liam chuckled. He wondered what Allison was like. From the stories the pack had told him, she seemed like such a down to earth person.

"It's been a scary journey, and we've lost some people that changed our lives. And they've left a mark." Lydia swallowed. "But these are the kind of people you keep in your heart forever. They're real friends. They've always got your back."

"I'm glad I'm part of the pack." Liam muttered with a light smile. "It's been weird. Really, _really _weird."

Lydia giggled silently.

"But if it wasn't for Scott, I'd be dead. So for that I thank him."

"Scott will always beat himself up for changing you." Lydia informed the young werewolf. "But that's who he is. Takes all the responsibility on his shoulders. It's in is blood to take care of us all, and if we're ever in danger, he will be the first one to get you out. I promise you now, you will never meet a more considerate and caring boy than Scott McCall."

..

As Scott opened his door, he was greeted with a hug and a kiss on the forehead from Melissa. "Hey, mom."

"You kids alright?" She asked the four of them as the entered the hallway.

"Yeah. Do you mind if they stay tonight?" Scott asked.

"Of course, of course." Melissa nodded. "Your father's at the station with the sheriff. They have work up to their necks."

"Understandable." Stiles tilted his head.

"You guys eaten? I've made enough for all of you."

"Do I smell shepherds pie?" Stiles perked up.

"You do in fact smell shepherds pie, Stiles." Melissa grinned at her son's best friend.

"Reason one hundred and sixty of why I love your mom." Stiles mumbled to Scott.

..

"Mom?" Lydia called out, closing the door quickly. Prada was soon at her feet, jumping up to greet her.

"Lydia! Thank god you're home." Natalie rushed out of the kitchen to envelope her daughter into a hug.

"You okay?" Lydia asked, wrapping her arms around her mother. "Sorry you were alone..."

Natalie pulled away from Lydia's grasp as footsteps entered the hallway. Lydia froze at the figure standing before her.

"Dad?!"

"Hey, sweetie." Her father smiled as he walked towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her in and planted a kiss on her forehead. Lydia glared at her mother.

"W-what are you doing here?" Lydia pulled away and looked up at her father. She hadn't seen him in over half a year.

"As soon as I heard what was going on, I flew home." Mr Martin replied. "Home", Lydia could have snorted. This wasn't his home.

"What about work?" Lydia asked dryly, still in shock as her father stood in front of her.

"Work can wait. I'd rather be here with my family to make sure they're okay." Mr Martin smiled.

Lydia was dumbfounded. Half a freaking year with no sign of her father, no visits over the duration of possibly the worst few months of her life and he had no clue. But now, _now _he decides to show his face.

Before she could even say another word, Lydia's phone began to ring in her pocket. Seeing who the caller was, she looked up at her parents. "Sorry...I've got to take this." She rushed up the stairs and into her room, sure to close the door after Prada ran in after her.

"Stiles."

"You were meant to let me-us, know when you were home."

"Sorry...sorry." Lydia muttered.

"You alright?" Stiles asked.

"My dad's here." Lydia swallowed, falling onto her bed.

Stiles placed down the dish cloth and exited Scott's kitchen as everyone began to wash up the dishes. He held his phone close to his ear. "What?"

"He's back." Lydia muttered, closing her eyes.

"Wh-how comes?" Stiles asked. Stupid question, considering what was going on.

"He says he was 'worried'." Lydia chuckled sarcastically, patting her bed sheet to gain Prada's attention. The petite dog lept up and happily accepted the attention.

"You...you okay?" Stiles asked.

"I'm fine. But if he starts bullshitting about how much he missed me or how much he cares about me, I swear I'll-"

"Lydia! Lydia, relax." Stiles interrupted the banshee. "Just focus on the fact that he's here. I know he's not in your good books, but he's here and he's your father."

Lydia bit her lip before sighing. "I know."

"Just keep them plump lips closed for the time being, alright?"

Lydia chuckled. Only Stiles could hold onto humour at such a dark time. "I'll try. Thank you, Stiles."

..

"Here, I made some coffee." Braedon whispered, holding two mugs as she made her way onto his roof and sat down next to him. They both looked down at the streets below, silence filling the air.

Derek smiled at the assassin before taking the mug. "Thank you."

"You know, I would class this moment here as romantic if we didn't have a sniper each side of us." Braedon smirked, leaning into Derek's shoulder.

"I find it quite normal considering our lifestyle." Derek whispered with a grin.

"You've got a point..." Braedon's gaze drifting past Derek and out to the forest ahead of them. She squinted at first, trying to figure out the blurred figures sprinting out from the trees. It only took her a split second to realize exactly what they were. Zombies.

"Oh my god."

Derek spun his head around as his heart dropped. There they were. Fast, determined. And more than ten of them. If he was concentrating, he could have counted twelve, maybe fifteen.

Time stayed still as the pair of them watched over as the creatures run out of the trees and onto the streets, noises coming out of their mouths that they could only relate to growling, or screaming.

"Get down, get down." Derek hissed. They both ducked as the blood from their heads drained. There were so many. What if they couldn't be stopped? What if there was more? Where did they come from?

"We need to get inside and call the station." Braedon whispered, frantically pulling at Derek's shirt.

"Quickly and swiftly." Derek nodded before they begun to crawl across the roof.


	14. Chapter 14

Lydia kept her eyes on the plate in front of her, the only sound heard was the knives and forks scraping along the china.

"So, how's school?" Mr Martin asked, looking up with a smile.

Lydia shrugged as she chewed on a piece of stake. "Fine."

"More than fine," Mrs Martin interjected with a smile. "She's been getting A+'s for every subject."

"That's amazing! I'm so proud of you, Lydia." Lydia's father beamed.

Lydia faked a smile and continued to eat her dinner.

"How's the, um, part-time job at the school going?" Mr Martin asked Natalie.

"Great. The best part about it is that I get to spend time with my daughter almost everyday." Natalie lifted an eyebrow to her ex-husband.

Lydia couldn't stifle her grin. She mentally praised her mother for throwing the insult.

"Right." Mr Martin nodded, quick to change the subject. "Lydia, how's Jason?"

"Sorry?" Lydia frowned.

"Your boyfriend."

Lydia stopped chewing. "You mean Jackson."

"Yes! Jackson, how is he?"

"We broke up."

"Oh."

"Almost a year ago."

Silence fell over the dining room once more. After a few minutes, her parents begun discussing something that Lydia wasn't very interested in listening to. Her mind fell elsewhere, wondering how her friends were. Wondering what would happen next. Wondering what would happen to them-

Lydia sat up straight, turning to the door.

"Lydia?" Her mother called out with concern.

"Did you hear that?" Lydia almost whispered.

"Hear what, sweetie?" Mr Martin asked.

Then she heard it again. So did her parents. Growling of some kind.

"What on earth was that?" Natalie whispered.

Lydia slowly rose up from the dining table and made her way to the door, careful to not make a sound.

"Lydia!" Natalie hissed.

She leaned against the door and slowly pulled away the curtain hanging over the hallway window. Taking in a few breaths to calm her nerves, she peaked one eye out into her neighbourhood street. Her heart lept into her throat.

There they were, scattered around like animals hunting for some food. They were running in different directions, their eyes wide and devious, locating the next target they could get their hands on. And then a piercing scream filled the neighbourhood. A victim.

Lydia stumbled back just as her parents rose from their chairs.

"We need to hide."

More screams and yells for help echoed from the houses around them, Lydia felt the sadness swell in her heart. Her father pulled her and her mother towards the living room window, making sure the curtains were closed. The three of them lowered underneath the window and huddled together.

Another scream, louder than the rest pierced the night air and shortly after, something impacted with the floor upstairs. Lydia and her parents froze. She would have urged them to run if it wasn't for the sound of a small bell rattling down the stairs. Lydia was filled with relief as well as guilt as Prada made her way towards her. She felt awful for almost forgetting her dog.

"Sh, Prada." Lydia barely whispered as she pulled her dog onto her lap, giving her countless of strokes to make sure she didn't bark.

More and more pleas for help echoed around them, it was too much to listen to. The air smelt of death and tragedy, Lydia felt like she could-

No.

Lydia bit her lip.

She was going to scream.

Her heart thumped against her rip cage as she realized what she was about to do. What she needed to do.

"Mum, dad." She choked, the scream getting lodged in her throat. Lydia tried her best to keep it in, to hold it back, but it was too strong. People were dying all around her and it was all building up.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, feeling her eyes begin to sting. She was going to get them all killed. Her parents, her pup. All dead because of her stupid ability.

"What's wrong?" Natalie asked.

"I..." Lydia pulled her eyes shut. The aching was exploding in her chest. She wouldn't be able to hold it off much longer. "I need to scream."

"What?" Her father asked.

"I'm so sorry." Lydia shook her head, tears falling from her unopened eyes. "I'm so, so sorry."

Something snapped inside of her. As soon as she opened her mouth, all the desperation and effort of holding back the scream was gone.

Taking in a deep breath, Lydia let out the most heart wrenching scream she'd ever done before. Her ears numbed, her head ached and her throat stung as the scream travelled around the house, probably gaining the attention of every-flesh eating creature that remained outside.

The scream deteriorated, leaving Lydia temporarily death and full of guilt and exhaustion. It had knocked every ounce of energy out of her.

She could feel her parents calling, at some point Natalie's face was yelling into hers but Lydia couldn't respond, her eyes were too focused on the back garden door smashing in front of her, revealing the monster from her vision. Its eyes were locked on hers and he begun to run towards her and her family. She gripped hold of Prada's collar tightly, feeling the vibration of her dog's barks against her arm.

This was it. It was getting closer and closer and her family would be dead. She let out a few sobs before a window smashed somewhere downstairs, and a bullet planted itself into the zombie's head. Blood splattered all over the walls before the creature fell to the floor, lifeless.

It all happened in slow motion. Parrish entered through the broken window, rushed towards Lydia and helped her up. She was being escorted outside, Prada still in her arms and her legs still weak. Her and her family were being lead to a Military jeep, and they were quickly ushered into the back. Other civilians were sitting down, but Lydia couldn't make out faces. She was too stunned from the experience, too exhausted from the scream. It had never been that bad before.

She sat in-between her parents, feeling their arms wrapped around her. She stared into space, at the houses they were driving past. How many lives were taken to this disease? How many innocent people were murdered?

Lydia closed her eyes, feeling exhaustion sweep over her and lead her into a deep sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Stiles and the others had spent the last half hour aimlessly watching the television. Stiles knew that none of them were concentrating, but it was a distraction. Stretching, Stiles stood up and pulled out his phone.

"I'll be back in a minute."

With that, he left the living room and stepped into the hallway, dialling Lydia's number. It rung and rung until her voice spoke back.

"Lydia here, leave a message."

Stiles sighed, hanging up and ringing again. The same thing happened. He tried once more, but after a few rings it began to beep. Stiles frowned.

"The number you have called is not recognised."

"What?" Stiles mumbled, his heart picking up pace. He entered the living room just as Mrs McCall answered her phone.

"Hello? Raef-what? Oh my god."

Scott turned around to study his mother's shocked expression.

"Okay-yes. We'll leave right now." With that, she hung up.

"Mom?" Scott stood up.

"We need to leave. Right now." Melissa looked back to her son before grabbing her car keys.

"Mom, what's happened?"

"They're everywhere. We need to go to the military base." Melissa explained as the teenagers began to rush around frantically. "Girls, you come with me. Boys, follow me in the jeep."

Stiles quickly placed her phone in his pocket before hunting for his keys, his heart beating frantically.

"Lets go." Melissa looked around before quickly opening the front door, grabbing hold of the girls as they rushed to her car. Stiles and Scott were quick to follow and jumped into Stile's jeep.

After a few shaky attempts to place the keys in the ignition, the jeep rattled to life and Stiles began following Melissa.

"I can't believe this." Scott breathed, his voice wavering.

"What about the rest of the town? With about our dads?" Stiles felt like his heart was going to slam through his chest. He choked out a cry. "What about Lydia?"

"Lets just get to the military camp, alright?" Scott sighed before turning in his seat to take a look behind them. His heart dropped. "Stiles, put your foot down."

Stiles panicked, looking through his side mirror. A zombie was sprinting to towards them. Fast. "Oh my god."

He tried to get Melissa's attention by waving at her through the front window. He couldn't risk beeping, who knows how any creatures were out there.

"Melissa, speed up!" Stiles yelled, panic flooding his insides.

She eventually caught on, speeding up and zooming ahead. Stiles quickly caught up. "Scott, is it still there?"

"Yeah." The Alpha nodded, still twisted in his seat. The zombie never faltered, keeping pace with the two vehicles. Then a gunshot echoed through the air outside, and the zombie fell to the floor. Scott noticed a military truck appear around the corner and relief washed away his fear. They were safe for now.


	16. Chapter 16

After they were authorized to park their vehicles in the base and were escorted into a long queue, Stiles allowed everything to sink in. A zombie apocalypse was taking toll. Was it affecting the rest of the country? The rest of the world?

Stiles felt Malia lean slightly against his arm. She smiled up at him. "They'll be okay."

Stiles looked down at his girlfriend. "Who's that?"

Malia sniffed. "Your father and Lydia."

Stiles swallowed, adding moisture to his dry throat. He wasn't surprised she could smell it on him. Lydia and his dad had been the only thing on his mind since they left the McCall's house. He closed his eyes and prayed to whatever there was above that as soon as they made it to the end of this queue, the sheriff and Lydia will be standing there, absolutely unharmed and healthy.

..

It took them about forty minutes to reach the end of the queue. As Stiles had imagined, U.S Army members were standing either side of the queue with small machines in their hands. Very similar to the ones in school when they were tested.

"They're here, I can smell them." Scott spoke up, his head turning to the end of the queue.

"Who?" Melissa looked at her son with desperate eyes.

"Dad, the sheriff." Scott turned to Stiles. "Lydia's here with her family."

Stiles could have collapsed with relief there and then. But he held himself up. Only a few more minutes until he could reach the other side of the queue and pull his father into the biggest hug he could conjure up.

"Thumb, please." A soldier asked Kira. The young kanima placed out her thumb and the soldier quickly prodded it with her equipment. Kira let out a small squeak before the machine's screen glowed green with the word "clear".

Malia, then Melissa, Scott and then Stiles all went through and took the test; they were all clear. Stiles had never been so happy to reach the end of a queue before and as they were lead into the main base, he was overwhelmed with the amount of people there were. The base was large, like a huge warehouse. It was cold and smelt of bodies, and it didn't feel very safe for Stiles, ignoring the dozens of soldiers waiting at every exit and entrance. He had no idea how to find his father and Lydia amongst the large crowd until he noticed a couple of desks against the walls at the back. A police officer sat behind each desk and every now and then they asked everyone to form an orderly line, but no one listened.

Stiles rushed towards the desks and pushed in just like everyone else was. He overheard what everyone was asking.

"Mrs J Adams. She's my wife."

"My daughter, Rachel Mayfair. Twelve years old, this high?"

"I want my parents, I'm scared."

Stiles felt his heart swell. They were all in the exact same boat as he was. Just trying to find their loved ones to make sure they were safe.

He reached the desk and looked at the officer sitting down. He had a list in front of him and he looked exhausted. "Stilinksi?"

"Erik?" Stiles blinked.

"You should be with your father, what are you doing on your own?" Erik stood up.

"Trying to _find_ my father." Stiles exhaled before looking over at the list on the desk. "And Lydia Martin."

"Your father's with the town's council and mayor. Head towards the door just over at the back. One of the soldiers will let you in." Erik explained. "And as for Miss Martin..."

Stiles watched Erik browse through the list. He began to shuffle with nervousness. He shouldn't be nervous; Scott tracked their scent. Why was he so worried?

"She's in section F. Just over there." Erik pointed to the far corner in the base.

"Thanks, Erik!" Stiles yelled before rushing towards section F, keeping his eyes peeled for a certain strawberry-blonde. He moved past civilians, all distressed and scared just like him.

A few minutes past of him dodging past people and running around in circles until he spotted the banshee. She was sitting on a chair, leaning her head on her father's shoulder. She was looking right at Stiles.

Stiles' stomach did somersaults as he walked towards her, but she wasn't smiling at him or calling for him...it was like she hadn't even acknowledged him. But her eyes were on him.

Natalie appeared in front of Stiles and she crouched down in front of her daughter, handing her a plastic cup of water. Stiles watched with curiosity and worry, slowly approaching the family.

"Lydia, please." Stiles heard her mother beg. Something was very wrong.

He reached the Martin's and knelt down next to Natalie. "Mrs Martin..."

"Stiles." She smiled with relief, gesturing him to stand up. He followed her as she distanced them both from her daughter and her ex-husband.

"What's happened?" Stiles asked, looking back and watching Mr Martin trying to talk to his daughter. She was still staring into space.

"Our neighbourhood was attacked. They were everywhere, Stiles...we were hiding and she just whispered-" Mrs Martin looked back at her daughter, still not understanding what was going on.

"What did she say?" Stiles murmured.

Natalie turn back with a frown. "She said she was going to scream."

Stiles' stomach sunk. He closed his eyes and sucked in his cheeks.

"She did scream. It wasn't a normal scream, though, Stiles. It sounded surreal." Natalie continued. "She kept apologising, and then one was in our home. An officer shot it down and then we were brought here, but she hasn't moved since we left the house. Every time we get her to stand, her legs start wobbling and she falls back down."

Stiles looked back at the broken banshee. He needed to do something to bring her back. She looked so exhausted, he wanted to cry. "Do you mind if I have a few minutes with her?"

"Of course, by all means." Natalie nodded as they walked back. She gestured Mr Martin and he got up, leaving Stiles and an almost-comatose Lydia alone.

"Lyds?" Stiles murmured, sitting in front of her. His eyes levelled with hers and he lifted her hands to her cheeks, turning her head to try and get her to make eye contact. "Lydia, come on. Please."

Her head was floppy. If it wasn't for Stiles holding her, he assumed she would probably collapse to the floor. "Lydia, I really need you to talk to me right about now. I need you."

Her head fell forward, but Stiles was quick to lift it up. He placed his thumbs on her cheeks and stroked her pale skin, holding the back her head. He hadn't realised that his fingers began to entwine with her long red locks.

"You've got to come back, Lydia." Stiles' eyes darting all over Lydia's face, looking for a sign of any reaction. He looked around helplessly, no one even noticed the state Lydia was in. They had their own problems to worry about.

He sighed and pulled in his cheeks. "I'm your emotional tether, right?" He murmured, looking back at the banshee. "We're connected, Lydia. You and me, we have something there that helps keep each other grounded. If I can't pull you back, then who else can?"

Her eyes flickered to his then she blinked slowly. "Stiles."

Stiles almost stumbled back with happiness, but he kept Lydia sitting upright. A smile spread across his lips. "Welcome back."

"I'm so tired." She mumbled, leaning into Stiles' hand before closing her eyes.

"Was it the scream, Lyds?" Stiles asked softly.

She frowned, a hurt expression covering her face as she kept her eyes shut. "There were so many of them calling me...I tried to hold it in, I really did-"

"Lydia, don't beat yourself up. It's dangerous to hold it in, don't do that ever again." Stiles' expression hardened as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You're family's safe. You're safe. Think of it in a good way; if you hadn't of screamed, the officer might not have found you in your home."

Lydia opened her eyes slowly, focusing on Stiles talking. It soothed her and stopped her head from aching.

"How bad was it?" Stiles asked, fully aware of Lydia's gaze on his lips. He tried to stop his heart from thumping against his chest.

"I can't walk." Lydia mumbled. "My head, it feels like...it feels as if all those people that died have all been shoved into my brain, screaming and yelling at me to help them. And I can't."

Stiles' stomach twisted. He couldn't imagine what Lydia must go through on a day to day basis, let alone what had happened this evening. He couldn't imagine having the burden of everyone's death heavy on his chest and in his head. He wondered how she held it together all the time. Except for now.

"It's never been that loud before, Stiles." Lydia mumbled. He noticed the croak in her voice this time. It must have been a strain on her vocal chords.

"I know, Lyds. You're gonna be okay though, alright?" He smiled at her encouragingly, trying his best to get her out of the state she was in. "Can we try getting you on your feet?"

Lydia looked around slowly, seeing her mother and father's eyes on her. The fear in their eyes, she couldn't get rid of that. She screamed, almost got them killed. How would they ever forgive her?

She looked back at Stiles and used all of her energy to nod. Stiles wrapped an arm around her waist and carefully, slowly pulled her to her feet. All of her weight leaned against Stiles but he didn't mind, he was just wondering how on earth she was going to get her energy back. What if the scream was so bad that it had affected her permanently?

Lydia felt brave with Stiles by her side so she decided to try taking a step, but failed miserably. As soon as she put weight on one leg she collapsed to the ground with a cry. Stiles was quick to take her fall and she fell into his lap, gripping hold of his t-shirt as she let out a sob; even crying was a hard task.

"They took my dog." She mumbled into Stiles' chest. He was looking up at her parents to say she was okay, when he actually took in what she said.

"What?"

"They took Prada. They took her away from me." She sighed shakily before looking up at Stiles.

He looked into her glassy eyes and felt like crying for her himself. Why did bad things happen to someone that was so bright and smart and..._beautiful?_

She deserved more. She deserved more than this. She didn't deserve to be in this way, she didn't deserve her best friend dying and she didn't deserve her childhood pet to be taken from her. Stiles became angry very quickly, but he held it and got comfortable. They were going to be here for a while.


	17. Chapter 17

Stiles had sat with Lydia for two hours. Not long after she collapsed, she'd fallen into a deep sleep. Stiles was leaning against the bench behind them, cradling the banshee in his arms when Scott and Derek approached them. Scott fell straight to Lydia's side with wide eyes.

"What happened?"

"She screamed earlier. It was her worst one yet." Stiles looked from Scott and up to Derek. "She's lost any form of energy. She was in this...trance, she came back around about two hours ago and I tried helping her up but she just collapsed. She's physically exhausted."

Scott frowned with worry as he studied Lydia's pale face. He pushed her hair out of her eyes, trying to sense if she was in any pain. A headache and a soar throat was all he could conjure from her. He took most of it away, but he couldn't take away the exhaustion.

Stiles watched his best friend work his magic. Scott had to sit down for a few seconds before healing himself. "Hopefully she feels better when she wakes up."

Stiles nodded, before looking around. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Yeah, anything." Scott replied.

"Could you go grab my dad? I haven't seen him yet." Stiles asked politely, looking back down at Lydia.

"I'll get him." Derek nodded before disappearing through the layers of civilians. Most people had settled now and were down for the night. But everyone was still panicked, Scott could sense it.

"Where's Malia and Kira?" Stiles asked his friend.

"Kira's with her parents. I left Malia with my mom. She, um...she said she was gonna go ask whether they'd left all the patients in the Echlin house." Scott murmured, looking at his friend.

"What?" Stiles frowned, looking up. Why was she interested in Peter? He was a useless father. He didn't care about her, so why should she care about him?

Scott read his mind. "Just remember, Stiles. That's her dad. Deep down, she's always going to be concerned about him."

"I know, I know. It's just...I don't want her to be disappointed, that's all." Stiles sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. And that's when Lydia stirred.

Scott and Stiles both looked down at the strawberry-blonde as she began to wake up. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at Stiles before gazing over at Scott.

"Hey, Lydia." Scott smiled with relief.

"You took away the pain, didn't you." Lydia may have been injured, but she wasn't stupid. When her headache miraculously vanished, she knew who the culprit was.

"It was the least I could do, Lydia. I wanted to help you." Scott shrugged lightly.

Lydia didn't want to argue, she was too exhausted. "Thank you, Scott."

"How are you feeling?" Stiles asked the banshee.

"Useless. Embarrassed." Lydia looked around just in case people were staring at the state she was in. Hopefully no one saw her fall.

"Don't be embarrassed, Lydia. That's stupid." Stiles frowned. "You reckon you can sit up?"

"I'll give it a shot." She pursed her lips. Her eyes stung and her bones ached, but she wanted to try. Slowly, Stiles helped the banshee into a sitting position, never leaving her in the process. Eventually, she was sitting up between Stiles' legs.

"Well." Lydia blew out. "That was exhausting."

Scott chuckled softly. "I'm gonna go see if Deaton's here. He might know something that could help you recover."

"Scott, don't worry yourself..." Lydia began, but the Alpha was up and gone before she could even finish her sentence. "And, he's gone."

"Well, you're a lot better than earlier." Stiles looked down at her. "Progress."

Lydia looked up at the teenager and sighed. "Stiles, go and find your father. I'll be fine, I promise. My parents are right-"

"Your parents have gone to go find out what's going on. And even if they were here, I'll still be with you. Save your energy and stop detesting." Stiles replied. "I'm staying."

"How can you be so considerate yet frustrating at the same time?" Lydia looked up at her best friend.

"It's one of my many flaws." Stiles shrugged. He listened to the sound of Lydia's weak laugh, it made him feel better.

Silence overtook the pair as Stiles looked around at the town's civilians and Lydia tried to think of anything else but the sound of her own scream. It was haunting her, physically and emotional. She was annoyed that something so ridiculous such as a scream had the ability to wipe her out completely. She was strong and smart and she should be able to handle something as easy as this.

Lydia looked from face to face. Husbands, wives, children. Brothers, sisters, friends; they all surrounded her and the more she focused on them the louder the voices were in her head. Why did she even have this power if she couldn't prevent the deaths from happening? What was the point? She was making it worse by screaming. She felt completely and utterly useless.

"What if it happens against, Stiles?" She broke the silence.

Stiles blinked before looking down at the red-head.

"What if there's people still out there and they're being attacked? What if I scream in front of all these people? What if it's just as worse as the last one?" So many questions swam through Lydia's mind, it was overwhelming. And terrifying.

"Hey, Lyds." Stiles gained her attention and she looked up at him with tired eyes. He was equally as terrified, but he didn't dare show it. "You're going to be okay. You're Lydia freaking _Martin_, you can make it through anything."

Lydia grinned up at Stiles, a warm feeling sweeping over her. "I'm glad I have you, Stiles."

Stiles smiled back, his insides fluttering as he repeated the same sentence over and over. Lydia fell asleep shortly after that, and nothing warmed Stiles more than the feeling of Lydia Martin asleep in his arms. He held her close and leaned his head back, falling asleep to the sound of her breathing.


	18. Chapter 18

When Stiles woke up, he realized someone had placed a blanket over him and Lydia as well as a pillow underneath his head. He mentally thanked whoever had done that for them; that would have been one nasty neck ache to wake up to.

He focused on the real world and noticed all his loved ones had come and settled around them. Scott and Malia were asleep on the floor in front of Stiles, Derek was asleep on the bench next to him with Braedon close to him and Kira was just behind Scott with her parents. She was awake, locking eyes with Stiles before smiling and waving slightly.

Stiles couldn't fault Kira. She was polite, friendly and would do anything to help her family and friends. Plus, she made Scott happy and Stiles appreciated that. She got up and tip toed over to the pack before sitting in front of Stiles and Lydia. She studied the banshee carefully before looking up at Stiles. "How is she?"

"Better. She's got a little more energy but she's still very exhausted." Stiles replied, looking down at the red-head asleep in his arms.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Kira asked quietly. Stiles knew what she really meant.

"I don't know if she's going to recover from this." Stiles admitted with a sigh.

"I think she will. She's very strong." Kira placed a hand of Lydia's arm.

"That she is." Stiles smiled down at the banshee.

..

Stiles watched his father step through the sleeping civilians before settling down next to Stiles. "Hey, son. Good to see you."

"You too, dad." Stiles smiled. "You okay?"

"Stressed." The sheriff sighed. "Very stressed. How are you?"

"Worried." Stiles replied. "Very worried."

"How's she holding up?" The sheriff asked, taking a peek at Lydia as she slept peacefully.

"She's better...but I'm scared, dad." Stiles mumbled. "She's so weak, it's not right."

"She's a fighter, she'll pull through." Mr Stilinksi smiled. "It's Lydia we're talking about here."

"I know. You're right." Stiles nodded. "So, any news?"

"Nothing at the moment. None of the creatures have approached, and if they were to, they'd be gunned down as soon as they were spotted."

"Is there a cure?" Stiles asked.

"We haven't even got close to that. We can't get close enough to these creatures. If there's one, there's more. We can't risk any lives." The sheriff sighed and turned to his son. "We've just got to sit tight until otherwise."

Stiles nodded and fidgeted a little. His back was starting to ache and his legs were numb, but he didn't want to disturb Lydia. Sleeping meant getting better and that's all he wished for her right now.

..

Stiles had fallen asleep once more, but not for long. He'd woken up to the feeling of emptiness in front of him. Opening his eyes, they fell on Lydia trying to crawl along the floor. She was heaving in air, like it was causing her pain to use her muscles.

"Lydia." Stiles called out with worry and accusation. "What are you doing? You're going to hurt yourself."

"I just...want...to be able to...to god damn...walk!" Lydia panted before collapsing back on the floor.

Stiles shuffled over to her, preparing to pick her back up but she shakily held up a hand. "Don't. Just leave me here. Go stretch your legs, or go back to sleep, Stiles."

"Stop being ridiculous, Lydia."

"Then stop feeling sorry for me." She was leaning on her side, staring at Stiles with cold eyes. He could tell she'd had enough. Lydia was impatient, he'd always known that, and he knew that all Lydia wanted to do was get up and start helping. She loved being superior.

"I'm not feeling sorry for you. I'm trying to look after you." Stiles lifted an eyebrow. "There's a difference. Here, drink this."

Lydia watched Stiles pick up the plastic cup of water someone had left on the bench. "I'm not drinking that. That's been sitting there for hours."

"You are unbelievable." Stiles sighed. "Are you gonna let me help you sit up?"

Lydia pursed her lips before nodding. "Okay."

"Thank you." Stiles replied before placing an arm under Lydia's back. Whilst balancing the water, he arranged it so that Lydia was leaning against his chest again. "Here."

Lydia opened her mouth as Stiles tilted the cup. She took a few sips; it felt like heaven as the liquid coated her dry throat. Stiles pulled the cup away and placed it on the floor.

"This is humiliating." Lydia mumbled, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "I feel like _I_ should be the one in the Eichen house."

"Believe me when I say this, Lydia. You will never belong in that place. You don't deserve to be in that place." Stiles' voice became serious. "You're far too good for that place."

"So are you." Lydia spoke up, leaning into Stiles' shoulder. "You didn't deserve to be in there, either."

Stiles fell silent. To this day, he still dreamt of the times he'd spent there. The only good thing to come out of it was becoming close to Malia.

"I think we should both get some more sleep." Stiles murmured before helping Lydia lie back down on her side. He reached up and grabbed the pillow from the bench and placed it under Lydia's head.

"No, no. We'll share it. The ground is concrete, Stiles. You'll wake up feeling awful." Lydia frowned, using one shaky arm to push the pillow over some more.

Stiles smiled at the good-hearted girl in front of him before lying down beside her. He got himself comfortable before studying Lydia's face. Her eyes were closed and her breathing became more spaced out.

"Hey, Lyds?" Stiles whispered.

"Yeah." She asked, her eyes still closed.

"I'm glad I have you, too."

Lydia's eyes opened and they melted into Stiles' caramel orbs. His face was full of adoration and she could've got lost in his eyes forever.

"Malia's a good girl." Lydia whispered.

"Sorry?" Stiles frowned, his heart picking up pace.

"The fact that she's okay with you staying with me, letting me sleep in your arms-"

"She knew what the deal was when she joined the pack. Nothing would ever come between me and you." Stiles whispered back with a serious tone.

Lydia's heart almost stopped. This boy had been completely besotted with her for years and even with a wonderful girlfriend, nothing had changed in time. He still adored her and he still deeply cared for her.

"Of course not, Stiles. You're my tether." Lydia smiled, closing her eyes. "Good night."

Stiles' heart thumped against his chest. "Good night, Lydia."


	19. Chapter 19

Stiles woke up with an immediate headache; the pillow wasn't cutting it. He blinked a few times to focus on the world around him and realised Lydia was sitting up next to him. Her legs were crossed and she was laughing quietly. He wanted to cheer with joy.

Lydia noticed Stiles stretching and looked down at him. "Morning, Stilinksi." She smiled. "Bagel?"

Stiles looked up at her and thought that this is exactly how he wanted to be woken up every morning. Guilt threaded through him; Malia was an incredible girl and it wasn't right for him to have feelings for another, but Lydia really was out of this world. Her smile immediately put him in a better mood, given the circumstances.

"Morning. You're sitting up." Stiles grinned sleepily before sitting up himself. "How are you feeling?"

Lydia split the bagel that she was holding in half and handed it to Stiles. "Much better. I can't walk yet but I feel much more energetic."

"Thanks." Stiles took the half bagel and wolfed it down.

"Jesus, Stiles. It's a zombie invasion, not a famine disaster." Lydia chuckled after the boy swallowed the bagel whole.

"A boy's gotta eat." Stiles shrugged. "So, you're feeling better. That's a good thing, I'm glad."

"Me too." Lydia smiled.

Stiles looked around the base; food was being handed out by authority and almost everyone was awake. "What time is it?"

"Seven thirty." Scott piped up. Stiles looked ahead and realised everyone was still here. Scott, Kira and Malia were bunched together, Derek and Braedon were sharing a blanket on the bench behind and Melissa had joined the group, along with the sheriff.

"Any news yet?" Stiles looked at his father, hoping they didn't have to spend too long in this place. He missed his own bed.

"They caught a creature, taking it back to the labs in the city to have it tested. Fingers crossed, the Ebola treatment might work." The sheriff explained. Stiles nodded before Lydia's father appeared.

"Lydia, honey. I spoke to a nurse, they're gonna check you over and see if they can give you any antibiotics to make you feel better." Her father crouched down beside her.

"Dad...I can't walk." Lydia mumbled. Stiles studied Lydia's father; he could see the resemblance, but she got most of her traits and looks from her mother.

"I'll help you." Her dad smiled.

"I'm not being carried like a child through all of these people." Lydia blushed. "I'm fine, dad. I don't want any medicine. I'm feeling better."

"They're just gonna give you a check up and find out why you...you know, why you done what you did back at the house." Her father lowered his voice.

Lydia looked at the concrete bellow. Stiles exchanged worried looks with Scott before the Alpha turned to his mother.

"I'll check her over." Melissa spoke up, reading the boys minds.

Mr Martin looked up at her. "Are you a nurse?"

"The best in town." The sheriff smiled.

"I'll be more than happy to. That way, she can stay where she is." Melissa reassured the father. "I think it's best we don't put anything in her system, she seems to be healing quite well on her own."

"O...kay." Mr Martin smiled. "Well, the nurse knows more than I do. I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, dad." Lydia nodded.

"Me and your mother will be just over there." With that, he got up and moved off.

"Thank you, Mrs McCall." Lydia smiled politely at Scott's mother. She was clearly embarrassed.

"Lydia, sweetie. You've got nothing to be embarrassed about. Just as long as you're okay, that's all that matters." Melissa smiled.

Lydia nodded appreciatively before everyone began their own conversations.

"So, that's your dad." Stiles spoke quietly.

"That's my dad." Lydia confirmed, still looking at the ground.

"He seems nice." Stiles replied.

"He is, until he gets up and leaves for eight months." Lydia cleared her throat before looking up at the pack. "So..."

Stiles felt a wave of pity go through him; who would want to leave a girl like Lydia? Her father should be proud of her, sticking by her side through her childhood. He counted himself lucky to have his dad. He wouldn't replace him for the world.

"...all I know is they've taken them to a place in the city. They won't tell me where." Stiles brought himself back into the conversation to find Malia conversing with Lydia.

"Who's that?" Stiles asked.

"Everyone in the Eichen house." Malia replied, looking behind Stiles to Derek.

"Wherever he is, he's still locked up and safe." Derek replied. "They won't let him out."

"How about you focus more on finding your other dad? He might be here somewhere." Stiles looked at Malia. He'd rather have this conversation alone, but that wasn't going to happen in a place like this.

"He's not my father. Peter is." Malia replied matter-of-factly.

"I know, but...he's more of a father than Peter will ever be." Stiles muttered. He felt the stares of the pack on his face. He knew what they were thinking; shut up, Stiles.

"Stiles, stop pushing me. I'm not going back to him. I killed his entire family, he hates me." Malia bit back before standing up. "Get that into your little tiny brain."

Stiles blushed as the were-coyote walked off. Rubbing his face, he sighed and looked around at the pack.

"Stiles..." Lydia began.

"I know." He exhaled before standing up and following his girlfriend.

..

"Malia." Stiles called out. She wasn't slowing her pace. "Malia! Where exactly are you walking to?"

She paused before turning around. "Away from you, you're driving me crazy."

"I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have done that in front of everyone." Stiles sighed, walking up to the brunette. "I didn't realise you felt that way."

"Well, yeah. I do." Malia folded her arms before looking around.

"He doesn't hate you, Malia. You're his daughter."

"No. I'm not." Malia replied with a cold stare. "Now he knows I was the one who murdered his family, of course he's going to hate me. He set up traps to capture me, what's gonna stop him from killing me this time?"

"Malia, think this through. You didn't even give him a chance to spend some time with you. How do you even know he feels like this?" Stiles asked. "Peter doesn't deserve you. Your other dad does. He raised you as his own, fully aware that he wasn't your real dad. He took you in and called you his child. And now you're all he has left. Just, speak to him. I'm not saying that you should run back to him and call him "dad" and live with him. I'm just telling you to give him some more time. Don't walk away from him, he doesn't deserve it. You don't deserve it."

Malia blinked before pulling Stiles in for a hug. He exhaled, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm scared." She whispered.

"I know." He mumbled into her hair. "Just don't give up on him."

..

"I'm going crazy." Lydia sighed. "I need a textbook to read or something."

"You think they'd have places to charge our phones." Kira raised an eyebrow as she leaned her chin in the palm of her hand, playing with a lock of her hair.

"Let's play a game." Malia spoke up, laying on her front. "Eye spy?"

"Eye spy." Lydia frowned, leaning her head back on the bench behind her. She blew out her cheeks before looking around. "Eye spy, with my little eye, something beginning with...B."

Kira turned around to look over the crowd ahead. "Bald fat guy in section D?"

Lydia burst out laughing. "Kira, you're good at this."

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with G."

"Get me out of here, I'm so bored?" Braedon mumbled, half asleep.

"No."

"Grey concrete." Lydia shrugged, looking around.

"No. Guys, come on." Kira sighed, gesturing to behind Braedon. "Guy with awesome mohawk."

Malia chuckled before the girls joined in. Lydia enjoyed hanging out with the girls. She missed the days when her and Allison would joke around in a car ride home or talk about school and boys at a sleepover. She missed it so much. It was nice to have similar company.

"My go again." Kira cleared her throat. She sat up straight and looked around. "Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with-"

"ZOMBIE!"


	20. Chapter 20

The whole base fell silent. It was so quiet you could almost hear all the blood drain from everyone's faces. Scott and Stiles stopped pouring themselves some water after a scream broke out. Everyone turned to stare at the direction it came from.

A woman was pointing towards the entrance of the base; where the queue was yesterday. Stiles felt his insides churn as he peeped around the crowd to try and get a better look. Then the sound of gun shots rattled through the air, sending everyone into panic mode. Screams erupted and bounced off the metal walls as everyone began to scramble to some sort of safety.

Scott and Stiles moved back just as the crowd in front of them moved out of their vision and let them see an officer and a soldier shooting towards the entrance around the corner. Then a creature appeared and pounced on the soldier. It sent him flying to the ground, and then there was blood and flesh pasted along the grey concrete and Stiles was prepared to vomit.

"Oh my god." He couldn't hear the sound of his own voice as the screams and yells got louder and people pushed past Scott and him. He felt his best friend grasp hold of him before pulling him away. Stiles snapped into it and began to run with Scott. They ran towards section F and they could see the girls in front. Malia, Braedon were standing up with wide eyes while Kira tried helping Lydia to her feet.

Stiles ran to the girls and began helping Kira. It was no use, Lydia wouldn't be able to run. "We've got to get out of here, now."

"Go, guys. Go!" Lydia yelled desperately as she tried so hard to walk.

"Everyone, over there." Stiles pointed to the double doors ahead of them. "In there."

They all began to run, Scott taking the lead. Stiles turned to Lydia before lifting her into his arms. He was almost knocked over by the crowd running into him, but he picked up speed and sprinted towards the doors.

The sheriff appeared, almost bumping into Stiles. "In those doors, now!" He yelled in Stiles' ear.

"You're coming with me!" Stiles screamed, grabbing hold of his father's jacket. "You're coming!"

"Stiles, I need to help these people-"

"Dad, you know I will come back out and find you. Please!"

The sheriff looked into Stiles' desperate eyes and Lydia's forming tears. He exhaled before pushing Stiles' back. "Go, now!"

Stiles ran, feeling his father close behind before he saw Melissa and Mr McCall appear in front, ushering Scott and the girls inside the doors. They all ran in, and before the sheriff and agent McCall could close the doors, Braedon rushed towards them.

"Derek's still out there!"

Scott looked up and out of the doors before sprinting towards them.

"Scott!" Melissa and Stiles screamed. Stiles tried to grab hold of him, but it was too late. He'd run out.

..

"My parents." Kira shook, glaring at the doors in front of her. Lydia was on the floor, her arm keeping her up. She had her spare hand over her mouth as she imagined her parents out there, running for their lives. They could be dead.

She let out a choked sob before sinking even further to the floor. More gunshots and screams echoed through the building.

"My baby." Melissa stuttered as Rafael held her arms. She was shaking, waiting and waiting for the doors to burst open. The sheriff had let some people in who were banging on the other side of the door. He wanted to help everyone, but agent McCall advised him to not bring attention to the room they were in.

Lydia began to cry. Sobs escaped her mouth and she felt the tears falling down to her hand, seeping through the gaps between her fingers. She gasped before grabbing hold of Stiles' sleeve. He crouched down beside her with a frown.

"I'm going to scream." She was being as quiet as possible, but Stiles noticed the desperation and fear in her voice. He began to panic, holding onto her arms. "Stiles, I'm going to scream."

"Dad." Stiles looked up. "Lydia's going to scream. We need something that can stifle it."

"There's nothing in here." The sheriff looked around.

"Lydia, scream into my jacket." Malia offered. Lydia looked around, breathing in and out before Braedon knelt down in front of her next to Stiles.

"Lydia, please don't take this personally but I'm going to make you unconscious for a little while." Braedon's voice soothed and before Lydia could retaliate, Braedon pressed two fingers against Lydia's neck and she blacked out, falling into Stiles' grasp.

"Oh my god." Melissa gasped, bending down to help Stiles.

"How did you do that?" Malia asked.

"It's dangerous. Don't try it at home." Braedon replied, helping Mrs McCall and Stiles lay Lydia down.

The doors burst open, revealing Derek, Scott. Liam and Mason were behind them. Everyone let out sighs of relief before the sheriff slammed the doors shut.

"You idiot!" Melissa yelled, running towards Scott and grabbing hold of his shirt. "Just because you're a god damn were-wolf you think you can take on those creatures by yourself?! Are you crazy?!"

Scott froze in disbelief just as Melissa realised what she'd just said.

"A what?" Rafael frowned.

Scott glared at his mother.

"It's-" Melissa stuttered, slowly letting go of Scott's collar. "It's a nickname."

Before Mr McCall could even begin to ask questions, Scott looked down at the unconscious Lydia.

"What the hell happened?" Scott asked with wide eyes.

"Long story." Braedon cut him off before looking at Derek. "How bad is it out there?"

"I'm not going to lie to you all. There's a good twenty of them out there." Derek looked around the room. "Almost everyone is dead or injured."

Some placed their hands to their mouth, some stared ahead in shock. It was too much to handle.

"Quite a few have escaped out of the entrance, but it might be worse outside." Derek continued. "Is there a way out of this room to outside-?"

The doors burst open, startling everyone. Parrish appeared, covered in blood and sweat, but he was alive. The sheriff closed the doors behind him and placed a hand on his colleague's back.

"Jesus Christ, Parrish. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I've just had to try and pull a woman away from a zombie and she just split in half. I think I'm going to vomit." He moved through the crowd, leaned his hand against a wall before throwing up on the floor.

Everyone flinched at the sound, all in shock and numb to what was happening. Stiles looked at his father with wide, terrified eyes. What were they going to do?


	21. Chapter 21

The Sheriff lead the large group into a long corridor, making sure his gun was in his hands and he was being as quiet as possible. Agent McCall was behind him, shielding his son and Melissa as they crept around a corner. Stiles had Lydia in his arms once more, and insisted that Malia held onto the back of his shirt so he knew she was okay. Braedon and Derek made sure Liam, Mason and Kira were in front of them and Parrish kept look out at the back with another small group of civilians.

Another door sat in front of the group. The sheriff approached it, looking through the small windows before opening it slowly. It creaked, and everyone's hearts were almost punching through their chests. The sheriff turned to the group.

"Okay, when everyone gets in here, close the door behind you and lock it. We're going to head for the second door on the left."

Just as the sheriff turned back around, a door on the right burst open to reveal the flesh eating creature itself. It growled at him with saliva dripping from its teeth before heading towards him. The group screamed as the creature made its way towards Stiles' father but he was quick, aimed his gun at the monster and shot it straight in the head.

"Everyone, out the second left door! Now!" He screamed, ushering everyone from the hallway and into the room. Mr McCall approached the door before his eyes glared through the glass, three zombies heading directly towards him. "No, not this way!"

Another crash came from another door, revealing two more of the creatures. They were surrounded.

Mr McCall leaned against the door to stop the three zombies from getting through while Braedon pulled out the pistol she was hiding down her pants. Just as Parrish did, she aimed the gun at the two zombies and they both fired a bullet into their heads.

"How the hell do we get out?!" Stiles yelled, turning in circles with the red-head still in his arms.

The three zombies began to slam against the door Rafael was leaning against. "We need to hide, now!"

"What doors lead to where?" Scott almost screamed in frustration, just as another door burst open.

The creatures entered the room and they pounced. One tackled down Melissa, another ran into the back of Stiles, causing him to drop Lydia before the creature pinned him down. Two more entered the room and threw themselves at Mason and the small group of civilians.

Lydia woke up as she was dropped to the floor, her eyes opened wide and immediately she was hit with chaos. Screams tore through her head, the creatures in her dreams were spread around her and all she could see were her loved ones in danger. She looked ahead of her and it only took a couple of seconds to realise who this zombie was pinning down in front of her. Stiles was screaming, panicking. He was trying to fight but the creature was too strong. Lydia's heart dropped and adrenaline kicked in.

Looking up at the wall next to her, she yanked the fire extinguisher off of the wall, got to her knees and swung the metal cylinder towards the zombie's head. It plummeted to the ground and before it could react and get up, Lydia sprayed it with the white foam before the sheriff planted a bullet in its head.

Lydia exhaled in shock, dropped the extinguisher to the ground and leaned back. Stiles gasped, trying to regain his breath before glaring at Lydia with wide eyes. Lydia looked back; they both looked as traumatized as each other. Before Stiles could even say thank you, he was pulled from the ground by Derek and chucked into a room. Lydia was about to follow but the hands of agent McCall pulled her up and lead her to another room.

"The rest of them-" Lydia began, happy to see nobody was harmed by the creatures but she was still terrified of being separated from her pack.

"Lydia, in here." The sheriff called to her and agent McCall, ushering them into a room just as another creature entered the hall. The sheriff took hold of Lydia and pulled her into the room; much to their luck, it was the weaponry room. Knives, guns, shields, swords; anything you could think of was hanging on the walls. Lydia fell behind a desk that sat in the middle of the room with the sheriff while Rafael closed the door. Just as he did, the zombie pushed against it, causing Lydia to jump and the sheriff to get on his feet to help Rafael.

But it was too late.

The zombie pushed his head through the crack and sunk its yellow teeth into Rafael's hand.


	22. Chapter 22

Everything was slow motion. Lydia's hearing faltered as she realised what just happened. She saw Rafael scream out in pain.

The sheriff leant his gun around the edge of the door and shot down the zombie before slamming the door shut.

Lydia watched Rafael hold his hand.

Six seconds.

Her heart thudded against her chest.

Agent McCall collapsed to the floor in pain as the sheriff knelt by his side. Lydia blinked, stumbling back.

Ten seconds.

Turning to look at the wall behind her, her eyes clocked onto her reflection in the knife hanging on a hook.

Twelve seconds.

It was either now or never.

Grabbing the knife, Lydia fell to the floor next to Rafael, lifted the knife up and slammed it down onto his wrist.

It sliced his hand clean off.

Sixteen seconds.

As soon as the piercing scream escaped agent McCall's mouth, time became normal and Lydia's hearing was clear. She looked up at the sheriff, ignoring his bewildered stare. Her actions would make sense soon, he needed to realise that. "Find any form of material to wrap his wrist up in."

The sheriff nodded quickly before rummaging around the room while Lydia delicately took Rafael's arm and held it up. Blood was pouring down his arm and onto the floor, and Lydia could see the bone she sliced into. She locked eyes with Rafael, noticing how pale he'd become. "You haven't changed!"

He breathed heavily before looking down at his arm, it was slowly becoming numb. He looked back up at Lydia before realising she'd saved his life. He may have had no hand, but he hadn't turned into the flesh eating monsters that were killing everyone.

"You saved my life."

Lydia's heart beat increased as the sheriff leant back down on the floor with a first aid box in his hands. Lydia opened it and grabbed the bottle of antiseptic solution and the reel of bandages. "This is going to hurt. A lot."

"Use this." The sheriff found a cloth and placed it in agent McCall's mouth. Lydia raised an eyebrow; the sheriff was extremely smart. She knew where Stiles got it from.

Lydia unscrewed the solution lid and poured it over agent McCall's wound; he screamed into the cloth. The muffled scream was painful to listen to, but Lydia kept concentration. She began to wrap the bandages around his wrist until it was thick. She then took the cloth out of his mouth and wrapped that around the stump, securing it with one of her hair slides.

"We're going to have to get you to a doctor. I'm sorry, this is all I could do." Lydia looked down at her handy work. It wasn't a lot, but it was good enough until they could seek better medical assistance.

"I can't believe you just done that, Lydia." The sheriff shook his head. "You saved his god-damn life."

Lydia brought her hands to her mouth as she let it all sink it. She just cut off Scott's father's hand. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Rafael stuttered, holding his forearm in his hand.

"I cut off your hand...I can't believe I just cut off your hand-"

"Lydia, you just saved my life. That was quick and smart and if you hadn't of done that I'd be next to dead." Agent McCall replied.

Lydia smiled at Scott's father, still a little shook up.

"Lydia, you're feeling much better." The sheriff pointed out.

"I don't know what happened. I just woke up on the floor out there and all of my energy had come back." Lydia shrugged.

"Well, for the time being we'll sit in here and rest up until we know it's safe to go out there." The sheriff stated.

"What about the others?" Lydia murmured.

"They'll be fine. They're all smart. And if you're intelligence has rubbed off on any of them, they'll survive."


End file.
